[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 8, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6748-6749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2320]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration


Maritime Security Training Course

AGENCY: Maritime Administration (MARAD), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of maritime security training course 
approval program.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce a voluntary program 
for approval of maritime security training courses under the Maritime 
Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA). Training providers wishing 
to receive course approval are invited to submit applications under 
this program, which was developed jointly by MARAD and the United 
States Coast Guard (USCG). Training providers--profit or non-profit--
must be organized and authorized to conduct business under the Federal 
laws of the United States, or under the laws of any state of the United 
States, and they must conduct the training in the United States or 
aboard a United States flag vessel to be eligible for this program.
    There is no cost to training providers for course approval under 
this program; however, the program is subject to limited funding, and 
fees may be required when funding is exhausted. The goal of the program 
is to promote high quality, uniform training of maritime security 
professionals. Details of the program are available on the MARAD Web 
site: http://www.marad.dot.gov.

DATES: Effective Date: This program is effective February 8, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Christopher E. Krusa, Office of 
Policy and Plans, Maritime Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001, (202) 366-2648, marad.dot.gov">chris.krusa@marad.dot.gov. 
Program details are also available on the MARAD Web site: http://www://
marad.dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 109 of the Maritime Transportation 
Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-295) addressed the need for maritime 
security education and training to counter terrorist and other security 
threats involving the port, maritime, and intermodal transportation 
environment. Section 109 specifically charged the Secretary of 
Transportation with responsibility for fulfilling this need, requiring 
that ``the Secretary shall develop standards and curriculum to allow 
for the training and certification of maritime security 
professionals.'' The Secretary of Transportation found that MARAD had 
the expertise to develop and implement a program for the training and 
certification of maritime security professionals within its area of 
responsibility. Accordingly, on April 3, 2003, the Secretary delegated 
the Section 109 security mandate to MARAD.
    At the request of the Maritime Administrator, the United States 
Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) developed the required training 
standards and curriculum and prepared a report to Congress in May 2003. 
The report characterized security threats to the marine and intermodal 
transportation system; summarized relevant domestic legislation, 
international conventions, and other guidance; delineated key workforce 
development issues; described the project undertaken by MARAD in 
fulfillment of the Secretary's Section 109 responsibilities; presented 
the standards and curriculum developed in response to the MTSA mandate; 
and offered recommendations for the certification and oversight of 
maritime security education and training.

[[Page 6749]]

    The standards, curriculum, and recommendations contained in the 
report were developed through a deliberative and collaborative process, 
during which MARAD proactively sought public comment and initiated 
interagency cooperation. Collaboration with the Coast Guard, the 
Transportation Security Administration (TSA), other public agencies, 
industry associations, and private-sector firms was pursued to ensure 
that the education and training guidelines developed were responsive to 
the needs of affected parties and incorporated the views of 
stakeholders to the maximum extent possible.
    During development of the training guidelines, MARAD received many 
comments from training providers seeking a means through which to have 
their courses ``approved,'' or otherwise designated as courses that 
incorporate the standards and curriculum developed under MTSA. Similar 
requests were received from facility and vessel operators wishing to 
send their security personnel to ``approved'' courses utilizing MARAD's 
training standards and curriculum.
    In response to these comments from training providers and facility 
and vessel operators, MARAD and the Coast Guard have developed an 
optional program for maritime security training course approval. This 
program is voluntary because, while there are domestic and 
international regulatory requirements for certain classes of personnel 
to receive appropriate maritime security training and/or have 
equivalent job experience, it is not currently mandatory for maritime 
security training to be approved by MARAD, the Coast Guard, or any 
other government agency. Nonetheless, this voluntary program is 
designed to align with any potential future regulatory requirements for 
maritime security training course approval at both the domestic and 
international levels.
    Based upon the standards, curriculum, and recommendations contained 
in the report to Congress, as derived from MTSA, MARAD and the Coast 
Guard have identified seven discrete types of maritime security 
training courses as appropriate for inclusion in the program: (1) 
Vessel Security Officer (VSO), (2) Company Security Officer (CSO), (3) 
Facility Security Officer (FSO), (4) Maritime Security for Vessel 
Personnel with Specific Security Duties (VPSSD), (5) Maritime Security 
for Facility Personnel with Specific Security Duties (FPSSD), (6) 
Maritime Security for Military, Security, and Law Enforcement Personnel 
(MSLEP), and (7) Maritime Security Awareness (MSA). These are based 
upon the model course frameworks published in the report to Congress.
    Initially, only instructor-based VSO, CSO, and FSO courses will be 
evaluated under this voluntary course approval program. Applications 
for approval of VPSSD, FPSSD, MSLEP and MSA courses--as well as for 
non-instructor-based VSO, CSO, and FSO courses--may be considered in 
subsequent stages of the program, contingent upon funding and/or on the 
payment of fees by training providers seeking approval for these types 
of courses. All terms and conditions of VPSSD, FPSSD, MSLEP, and MSA 
course approval--as well as for non-instructor-based VSO, CSO, and FSO 
course approval--will be posted on the MARAD Web site (http://www://
marad.dot.gov) if/when a determination is made to evaluate these types 
of courses under this program. Until then, no applications for approval 
of VPSSD, FPSSD, MSLEP, and MSA courses or for non-instructor-based 
VSO, CSO, and FSO courses will be accepted.
    Training providers wishing to obtain course approval for 
instructor-based VSO, CSO, and/or FSO courses must submit their 
applications electronically in strict accordance with Appendix A of the 
Guidelines for Maritime Security Training Course Providers, ``Elements 
of Request for Maritime Security Training Course Approval,'' published 
on the MARAD Web site (http://www://marad.dot.gov). These procedures 
include a requirement for training providers to certify that they are 
verifying the identity of all students. After the application materials 
are properly received, they will be forwarded to a Coast Guard-accepted 
Quality Standards System (QSS) organization, approved by the Coast 
Guard in accordance with Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 
(NVIC) 9-01 (November 30, 2001), for review. NVIC 9-01 is publicly 
available on the Internet at: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-/nvic/NVIC%209_01.pdf.
    The QSS organization will determine the adequacy of the submitted 
course(s) and work with the training provider to correct any 
deficiencies in accordance with the Guidelines for Maritime Security 
Training Course Providers published on the MARAD Web site (http://www:/
/marad.dot.gov). Training providers--profit or non-profit--must be 
organized and authorized to conduct business under the federal laws of 
the United States, or under the laws of any State of the United States, 
and they must conduct the training in the United States or aboard a 
United States flag vessel to be eligible for this program.
    International Maritime Organization (IMO) model courses for Ship 
Security Officer (Model Course 3.19), Company Security Officer (Model 
Course 3.20), and Port Facility Security Officer (Model Course 3.21), 
respectively, will be used for evaluation of all submitted courses. The 
IMO model courses were developed by USMMA staff in collaboration with 
counterparts in India, in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard, and 
are available for purchase in the U.S. through IMO-designated 
distributors listed on the IMO Web site at http://www.imo.org/.
    The Coast Guard and MARAD will provide oversight of the QSS 
organization and the course approval process. For VSO courses, the QSS 
organization will issue approval letters and course approval 
certificates on behalf of the Coast Guard. For CSO and FSO courses, the 
QSS organization will issue approval letters and course approval 
certificates on behalf of MARAD. If a single course covers multiple 
topics that would separately be approved on behalf of the Coast Guard 
or MARAD (e.g., a combination VSO and CSO course) the QSS organization 
will issue approval letters and course approval certificates jointly on 
behalf of both MARAD and the Coast Guard.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The information collection for this voluntary program for approval 
of maritime security training courses was approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget on July 27, 2004, as MARAD's information 
collection 2133-0535, Elements of Request for Course Approval.

(Authority: Pub. L. 107-295)

    By order of the Maritime Administrator.

    Dated: February 2, 2005.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 05-2320 Filed 2-7-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-81-P