[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 45 (Thursday, March 7, 2019)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 8407-8408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04298]



[[Page 8405]]

Vol. 84

Thursday,

No. 45

March 7, 2019

Part II





The President





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Executive Order 13860--Supporting the Transition of Active Duty Service 
Members and Military Veterans Into the Merchant Marine
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  Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 45 / Thursday, March 7, 2019 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 8407]]

                Executive Order 13860 of March 4, 2019

                
Supporting the Transition of Active Duty Service 
                Members and Military Veterans Into the Merchant Marine

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and to promote employment opportunities for 
                United States military veterans while growing the cadre 
                of trained United States mariners available to meet 
                United States requirements for national and economic 
                security, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United 
                States to support practices and programs that ensure 
                that members of the United States Armed Forces receive 
                appropriate credit for their military training and 
                experience, upon request, toward credentialing 
                requirements as a merchant mariner. It is further the 
                policy of the United States to establish and maintain 
                an effective merchant marine program by providing 
                sufficient support and resources to active duty and 
                separating service members who pursue or possess 
                merchant mariner credentials.

                A robust merchant marine is vital to the national and 
                economic security of the United States. Credentialed 
                United States merchant mariners support domestic and 
                international trade, are critical for strategic 
                defensive and offensive military sealift operations, 
                and bring added expertise to Federal vessel operations. 
                Unfortunately, the United States faces a shortage of 
                qualified merchant mariners. As our strategic 
                competitors expand their global footprint, the United 
                States must retain its ability to project and sustain 
                forces globally. This capability requires a sufficient 
                corps of credentialed merchant mariners available to 
                crew the necessary sealift fleet. Attracting additional 
                trained and credentialed mariners, particularly from 
                active duty service members and military veterans, will 
                support United States national security requirements 
                and provide meaningful, well-paying jobs to United 
                States veterans.

                Sec. 2. Definition. For the purposes of this order, the 
                term ``applicable service'' includes any of the ``armed 
                forces,'' as that term is defined in section 
                101(a)(4)(A) of title 10, United States Code.

                Sec. 3. Credentialing Support. (a) To support merchant 
                mariner credentialing and the maintenance of such 
                credentials, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary 
                of Homeland Security, with respect to the applicable 
                services in their respective departments, and in 
                coordination with one another and with the United 
                States Committee on the Marine Transportation System, 
                shall, consistent with applicable law:

(i) Within 1 year from the date of this order, identify all military 
training and experience within the applicable service that may qualify for 
merchant mariner credentialing, and submit a list of all identified 
military training and experience to the United States Coast Guard National 
Maritime Center for a determination of whether such training and experience 
counts for credentialing purposes;

(ii) With respect to National Maritime Center license evaluation, issuance, 
and examination, take all necessary and appropriate actions to provide for 
the waiver of fees for active duty service members, if a waiver is 
authorized and appropriate, and, if a waiver is not granted, take all 
necessary and appropriate actions to provide for the payment of fees for 
active duty service members by the applicable service to the fullest extent 
permitted by law;

[[Page 8408]]

(iii) Direct the applicable services to take all necessary and appropriate 
actions to pay for Transportation Worker Identification Credential cards 
for active duty service members pursuing or possessing a mariner 
credential;

(iv) Ensure that members of the applicable services who are to be 
discharged or released from active duty and who request certification or 
verification of sea service be provided such certification or verification 
no later than 1 month after discharge or release; and

(v) Ensure the applicable services have developed, or continue to operate, 
as appropriate, the online resource known as Credentialing Opportunities 
On-Line to support separating service members seeking information and 
assistance on merchant mariner credentialing.

                    (b) The United States Committee on the Marine 
                Transportation System shall pursue innovative ways to 
                support merchant mariner credentialing, including 
                through continuation of the Military to Mariner 
                Initiative as appropriate, and shall provide a yearly 
                status report on its efforts under the provisions of 
                this order to the President through the White House 
                Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.

                Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.
                    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    March 4, 2019.

[FR Doc. 2019-04298
Filed 3-6-19; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F9-P