,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhdb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ac1
 #bjbb,mr4 ,cruz 7for himself1 ,ms4     
,cantwell1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,wicker1 
and ,mr4 ,sullivan7 introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the ,united    
,states ,coast ,guard to implement new  
rules for ,merchant ,marine             
credentialing for veterans and members  
of the ,uniformed ,services1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,military to   
,mariners ,act of #bjbb4  #b4 ,findings2
 sense of ,congress  7a7 ,findings      
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,the ,united ,states ,uniformed    
,services are composed of the world's   
most highly trained and professional    
servicemembers4  7#b7 ,a robust         
,merchant ,marine and ensuring ,united  
,states mariners can compete in the     

global workforce are vital to economic  
and national security4  7#c7 ,attracting
 additional trained and credentialed    
mariners1 particularly from active duty 
servicemembers and military veterans1   
will support ,united ,states national   
security requirements and provide       
meaningful1 well-paying jobs to ,united 
,states veterans4  7#d7 ,there is a need
 to ensure that the ,federal ,government
 has a robust1 state of the art1 and    
efficient merchant mariner credentialing
 system to support economic and national
 security4  7b7 ,sense of congress ,it  
is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7   
veterans and members of the ,uniformed  
,services who pursue credentialing to   
join the ,united ,states ,merchant      
,marine should receive vigorous support2
 and  7#b7 it is incumbent upon the     
regulatory bodies of the ,united ,states
 to streamline regulations to facilitate
 transition of veterans and members of  
the ,uniformed ,services into the       
,united ,states ,merchant ,marine to    

maintain a strong maritime presence in  
the ,united ,states and worldwide4  #c4 
,modification of sea service            
requirements for merchant mariner       
credentials for veterans and members of 
the ,uniformed ,services  7a7           
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,merchant mariner credential ,the term  
merchant mariner credential has the     
meaning given the term in section #geaj 
of title #df1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7#b7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary    
means the ,secretary of the department  
in which the ,coast ,guard is operating4
  7#c7 ,uniformed ,services ,the term   
,uniformed ,services has the meaning    
given the term uniformed services in    
section #baja of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code4  7b7 ,review and         
regulations ,notwithstanding any other  
provision of law1 not later than #b     
years after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7  
review and examine-- 7,a7 the           
requirements and procedures for veterans

 and members of the ,uniformed ,services
 to receive a merchant mariner          
credential2  7,b7 the classifications of
 sea service acquired through training  
and service as a member of the          
,uniformed ,services and level of       
equivalence to sea service on merchant  
vessels2  7,c7 the amount of sea        
service1 including percent of the total 
time onboard for purposes of equivalent 
underway service1 that will be accepted 
as required experience for all          
endorsements for applicants for a       
merchant mariner credential who are     
veterans or members of the ,uniformed   
,services2  7#b7 provide the            
availability for a fully internet-based 
application process for a merchant      
mariner credential1 to the maximum      
extent practicable2 and  7#c7 issue new 
regulations to-- 7,a7 reduce paperwork1 
delay1 and other burdens for applicants 
for a merchant mariner credential who   
are veterans and members of the         
,uniformed ,services1 and1 if determined

 to be appropriate1 increase the        
acceptable percentages of time          
equivalent to sea service for such      
applicants2 and  7,b7 reduce burdens and
 create a means of alternative          
compliance to demonstrate instructor    
competency for ,standards of ,training1 
,certification and ,watchkeeping for    
,seafarers courses4  7c7 ,consultation  
,in carrying out subsection 7b71 the    
,secretary shall consult with the       
,national ,merchant ,marine ,personnel  
,advisory ,committee taking into account
 the present and future needs of the    
,united ,states ,merchant ,marine labor 
workforce4  7d7 ,report ,not later than 
#ahj days after the date of enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,committee on the       
,marine ,transportation ,system shall   
submit to the ,committee on ,commerce1  
,science1 and ,transportation of the    
,senate1 the ,committee on ,armed       
,services of the ,senate1 the ,committee
 on ,energy and ,commerce of the ,house 
of ,representatives1 and the ,committee 

on ,armed ,services of the ,house of    
,representatives1 a report that contains
 an update on the activities carried out
 to implement-- 7#a7 the ,july #bjbj    
report by the ,committee on the ,marine 
,transportation ,system to the ,white   
,house ,office of ,trade and            
,manufacturing ,policy on the           
implementation of ,executive ,order     
#achfj 7#hd ,fed4 ,reg4 #hdjg2 relating 
to supporting the transition of active  
duty servicemembers and military        
veterans into the ,merchant ,marine72   
and  7#b7 section #ceaa of the ,national
 ,defense ,authorization ,act of #bjbj  
7,public ,law #aaf-ib2 #acc ,stat4      
#aigh74  7e7 ,assessment of skillbridge 
for employment as a merchant mariner    
,the ,secretary of the department in    
which the ,coast ,guard is operating1 in
 collaboration with the ,secretary of   
,defense1 shall assess the use of the   
,skill,bridge program of the ,department
 of ,defense as a means for             
transitioning active duty sea service   

personnel toward employment as a        
merchant mariner4