Mariner Credentialing Program Transformation

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY <SUBAGY>Coast Guard</SUBAGY> <CFR>46 CFR Parts 1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. USCG-2021-0834]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 1625-AC86</RIN> <SUBJECT>Mariner Credentialing Program Transformation</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Coast Guard, DHS. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Coast Guard is issuing this final rule to permit the electronic submission of required mariner credentialing information to allow for the future implementation of a new Merchant Mariner Credentialing information technology system. This rule also requires the electronic payment of mandatory merchant mariner credentialing fees, removes the requirement for prospective mariners to take an oath before an authorized official, and changes the requirements for the Certificate of Discharge to Merchant Mariners. Finally, this rule makes technical amendments to update addresses and websites, remove antiquated terminology, and adopt gender-neutral terms. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective January 19, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> To view documents mentioned in this preamble as being available in the docket, go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov,</E> type USCG-2021-0834 in the search box and click “Search.” Next, in the Document Type column, select “Supporting & Related Material.” <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> For information about this document call or email call or email Mr. Charles J. Bright, Coast Guard Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing, Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1046, email <E T="03">Charles.J.Bright@uscg.mil.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents for Preamble</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Abbreviations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Basis and Purpose, and Regulatory History</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Discussion of Comments and Changes</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Discussion of the Rule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Regulatory Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Regulatory Planning and Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Small Entities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Assistance for Small Entities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Collection of Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Unfunded Mandates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Taking of Private Property</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Civil Justice Reform</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Protection of Children</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Indian Tribal Governments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Energy Effects</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Technical Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">M. Environment</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Abbreviations</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ACH Automated Clearing House</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CBO Congressional Budget Office</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CG-MMC Coast Guard Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DHS Department of Homeland Security</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">EFT Electronic Funds Transfer</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">Form CG-718A Certificate of Discharge to Merchant Mariner</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">Form CG-719B Application for Merchant Mariner Credential</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FRED Federal Reserve Economic Data</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GS General Schedule</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GSA General Services Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ICR Information Collection Request</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">IT Information Technology</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MCP Mariner Credentialing Program</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MMC Merchant Mariner Credential</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MMLD  Merchant Mariner Licensing and Documentation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NMC National Maritime Center</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OPM Office of Personnel Management</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RA Regulatory analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFA Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">REC Regional Exam Center</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">§ Section </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TWIC Transportation Worker Identification Credential</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S.C. United States Code</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">USCG United States Coast Guard</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Basis and Purpose, and Regulatory History</HD> The legal basis of this final rule is title 46 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) Sections 7101(b) and 7301(b), which authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish the experience and professional qualifications required for the issuance of merchant mariner licenses and documents. The DHS Secretary has delegated the rulemaking authority under 46 U.S.C. 7101 and 7301 to the Coast Guard through DHS Delegation No. 00170.1(II)(92)(e), Revision No. 01.4. Additionally, 14 U.S.C. 102(3) grants the Coast Guard broad authority to issue and enforce regulations for the promotion of safety of life and property on waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, which includes establishing the experience and professional qualifications required for the issuance of credentials. This final rule revises title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), subchapter A, part 1, and subchapter B, parts 10-16, to allow for the electronic submission of information to the Coast Guard for the issuance of a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) and the supporting administrative processes, including requiring the payment of mandatory fees through the federal government-recognized system, Pay.gov. The Coast Guard is also removing the requirement for prospective mariners to take an oath before an authorized official and changing requirements for the completion and issue of a Certificate of Discharge to Merchant Mariner (Form CG-718A). In addition, the Coast Guard is making technical amendments to update addresses and websites, remove antiquated terminology, and adopt gender-neutral language. On March 14, 2024, the Coast Guard published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) titled “Mariner Credentialing Program Transformation,” (89 FR 18706) requesting comments on the proposed changes implemented by this final rule. A detailed description of the background and proposed changes can be found in the NPRM. <E T="03">See</E> 89 FR at 18707-09. <HD SOURCE="HD1">III. Discussion of Comments and Changes</HD> In response to our NPRM, the Coast Guard received five written submissions. All were in support of the proposed changes. Two submissions each contained a single comment in support of the proposed changes. Three submissions captured multiple comments, for a total of 11 comments, which provided detailed support of the proposed changes. One comment included a recommendation, which is discussed below. One commenter recommended the implementation of an electronic merchant mariner credential or e-credential. The Coast Guard appreciates this recommendation and may consider it as part of the future information technology system and the overall changes to the Mariner Credentialing Program (MCP), but finds the recommendation is beyond the scope of this rulemaking. Coast Guard regulations do not specify the form of the credential. After considering these comments, the Coast Guard is making two modifications from our previously proposed changes. In the NPRM, we proposed removing the words “the applicant's fingerprints” from 46 CFR 10.209(e)(3). This paragraph concerns information supplied from the mariner's Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) enrollment before an MMC or endorsement is issued by the Coast Guard. This proposed change was included in the proposed amendatory instructions but not in Table 2—Summary of Impacts by Affected CFR Part, Subpart, and Section, or part of the NPRM's Regulatory Analysis. <E T="03">See</E> 89 FR at 18707-30. After consideration, the Coast Guard is not removing the words “applicant's fingerprints” from 46 CFR 10.209(e)(3) as part of this final rule. Applicant's fingerprints are a required part of the TWIC enrollment process governed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Although fingerprints are not specifically used by the Coast Guard at this time on MMCs, the Coast Guard will retain the ability to use fingerprints on future MMCs for increased security purposes, especially if an electronic credential is developed as suggested by a comment received to the NPRM and discussed previously. The Coast Guard is also correcting a scrivener's error contained in our proposed amendatory language for 46 CFR 10.209(d)(1) by removing an unintentional repeat of the word “and.” Finally, this final rule removed some amendatory language included in the NPRM that was superseded by the publication of Electronic Submission of Mariner Course Completion Data final rule (Docket No. USCG-2021-0097, RIN 1625-AC75) on November 25, 2024. <HD SOURCE="HD1">IV. Discussion of the Rule</HD> This final rule allows for the electronic submission of MMC applications and supporting documents to the Coast Guard and requires electronic payment of mandatory fees through <E T="03">Pay.gov.</E> This final rule also removes the requirement for original MMC applicants to take an oath before an authorized official or notary because the Coast Guard has determined it is a redundant part of the original MMC application process. This rule further amends the process for issuing certificates of discharge for mariners after completing a voyage by clarifying the procedures and by allowing for electronic proce ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 180k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━