[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 90 (Monday, June 8, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S3873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1821. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table, as follows:

       At the end of part II of subtitle D of title V, add the 
     following:

     SEC. 540. RECEIPT BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WITH PRIMARY 
                   MARINER DUTIES OF TRAINING THAT COMPLIES WITH 
                   NATIONAL STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) In General.--Section 2015 of title 10, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
     (c) and (d), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new 
     subsection (b):
       ``(b) Members With Primary Mariner Duties.--(1) For 
     purposes of the program under this section, the Secretary of 
     Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall each 
     ensure that members of the armed forces with primary mariner 
     duties receive training that complies with national standards 
     and requirements under the International Convention on 
     Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping 
     (STCW).
       ``(2) The following shall comply with basic training 
     standards under national requirements and the International 
     Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and 
     Watchkeeping:
       ``(A) The recruit training provided to each member of the 
     armed forces.
       ``(B) The training provided to each member of the armed 
     forces who is assigned to a vessel.
       ``(3) Under the program, each member of the armed forces 
     who is assigned to a vessel of at least 100 gross tons (GRT) 
     in a deck or engineering career field shall be provided the 
     following:
       ``(A) A designated path to applicable credentials under the 
     national requirements and the International Convention on 
     Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping 
     consistent with the responsibilities of the position to which 
     assigned.
       ``(B) The opportunity, at Government expense, to attend 
     credentialing programs that provide merchant mariner training 
     not offered by the armed forces.
       ``(4)(A) For purposes of the program, the material 
     specified in subparagraph (B) shall be submitted to the 
     National Maritime Center of the Coast Guard for assessment of 
     the compliance of such material with national requirements 
     and the International Convention on Standards of Training, 
     Certification, and Watchkeeping.
       ``(B) The material specified in this subparagraph is as 
     follows:
       ``(i) The course material of each unclassified course for 
     members of the armed forces in marine navigation, leadership, 
     and operation and maintenance.
       ``(ii) The unclassified qualifications for assignment for 
     deck or engineering positions on waterborne vessels.
       ``(C) The National Maritime Center shall conduct 
     assessments of material for purposes of this paragraph. Such 
     assessments shall evaluate the suitability of material for 
     the service at sea addressed by such material and without 
     regard to the military pay grade of the intended 
     beneficiaries of such material.
       ``(D) If material submitted to the National Maritime Center 
     pursuant to this paragraphs is determined not to comply as 
     described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary offering such 
     material to members of the armed forces shall submit to the 
     Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives a report setting forth the actions to be 
     taken by such Secretary to bring such material into 
     compliance.''.
       (b) Additional Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--Each Secretary concerned shall establish, 
     for members of the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of 
     such Secretary, procedures as follows:
       (A) Procedures by which members identify qualification gaps 
     in training and proficiency assessments and complete training 
     or assessments approved by the Coast Guard in addressing such 
     gaps.
       (B) Procedures by which members obtain service records of 
     any service at sea.
       (C) Procedures by which members may submit service records 
     of service at sea and other military qualifications to the 
     National Maritime Center for evaluation and issuance of a 
     Merchant Marine Credential.
       (D) Procedures by which members may obtain a medical 
     certificate for use in applications for Merchant Marine 
     Credentials.
       (2) Use of military drug test results in merchant marine 
     credential applications.--The Secretaries of the military 
     departments and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
     jointly establish procedures by which the results of 
     appropriate drug tests administered to members of the Armed 
     Forces by the military departments may be used for purposes 
     of applications for Merchant Marine Credentials.
       (3) Secretary concerned defined.--In this subsection, the 
     term ``Secretary concerned'' has the meaning given that term 
     in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code.
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