[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 247 Introduced in House (IH)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 247

  To amend the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, to authorize State maritime 
 academies to reimburse qualified individuals for fees imposed for the 
 issuance of certain entry level merchant seamen licenses and merchant 
              mariners' documents, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 1995

 Mr. Fields of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on National Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Maritime Academy Licensing Relief 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REIMBURSEMENT OF CERTAIN FEES BY STATE MARITIME ACADEMIES.

    (a) Condition of Assistance.--Section 1304(d) of the Merchant 
Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1295c(d)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
            ``(3)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), an agreement under 
        this subsection shall require a State maritime academy to 
        reimburse each qualified individual for any fee or charge for 
        which the individual is liable to the United States for--
                    ``(i) the issuance of an entry level license under 
                chapter 71 of title 46, United States Code;
                    ``(ii) the first issuance of a merchant mariner's 
                document under chapter 73 of that title;
                    ``(iii) an evaluation or examination for such a 
                license or merchant mariner's document conducted before 
                the end of the period described in subparagraph 
                (D)(ii); or
                    ``(iv) an application for such a license, merchant 
                mariner's document, evaluation, or examination.
            ``(B) A State maritime academy shall reimburse qualified 
        individuals under subparagraph (A) to the extent amounts are 
        available under subparagraph (C).
            ``(C) In addition to annual payments under paragraph (1)(A) 
        and subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
        Secretary shall annually pay to each State maritime academy 
        that enters into an agreement under paragraph (1) amounts to 
        reimburse qualified individuals under subparagraph (A).
            ``(D) In this paragraph, the term `qualified individual' 
        means an individual who--
                    ``(i) is attending or is a graduate of a State 
                maritime academy;
                    ``(ii) fulfills the requirements for a license or 
                merchant mariner's document described in subparagraph 
                (A) not later than three months after the date the 
                individual graduates from a State maritime academy; and
                    ``(iii) is liable for a fee or charge described in 
                subparagraph (A).''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) is 
effective October 1, 1995.
    (c) Amendment of Existing Agreements.--As soon as practicable after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall amend agreements under section 1304(d) of the Merchant Marine 
Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1295c(d)) pursuant to the amendment made by 
subsection (a).
    (d) Additional Appropriations Authorized.--In addition to amounts 
authorized to be appropriated for assistance to State maritime 
academies, there is authorized to be appropriated $300,000 for fiscal 
year 1996 to reimburse qualified individuals pursuant to the amendment 
made by subsection (a).
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