Funding the Merchant Marine and Reforming the Merchant Marine Academy's Midshipmen Agreements (S. 1326)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is S. 1326?
(Updated March 15, 2018)
This bill would amend the commitment agreements that midshipmen who attend the Merchant Marine Academy must agree to by changing the terms of those agreements.
Midshipmen must now maintain a valid, unlimited merchant mariner license issued as an officer of the U.S. Merchant Marine for at least six years after graduating from the Academy — along with whatever national and international endorsements are necessary for their voyages.
They must also apply for, and accept if offered, an appointment as a commissioned officer in the Navy Reserve, the Coast Guard Reserve, or any other reserve component of a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. If offered, they must meet the participation requirements and maintain active status in good standing for at least eight years after their commissioning.
Midshipmen would be incentivized to obtain licenses they would use as mariners while attending the Merchant Marine Academy. They would be paid up to $32,000 in total for completing and maintaining those licenses and certifications.
The Secretary of Defense could order an individual to serve on active duty in the Armed Forces for a period of less than two years if it is found that a midshipmen:
Has attended the academy for between two and three years.
Accepted payments for obtaining licenses and certifications totalling more than $8,000.
Has failed to fulfill parts of their agreement related to maintaining licenses and certifications.
Individuals could be ordered to serve up to three years on active duty in the Armed Forces if they attended an academy for three or more academic years, have accepted at least $16,000 in payments, or have failed to fulfill obligations of the agreement related to obtaining and holding licenses and certifications.
This bill would also authorize appropriations for the national security aspects of the Merchant Marine and the Academy totaling $345.7 million in each of the fiscal years 2016 and 2017.
Argument in favor
The Merchant Marine and its academy play a vital but often overlooked role in providing for U.S. national security and economic growth. Funding it is as essential as funding other defense agencies.
Argument opposed
Changing the terms of midshipmen commitment agreements for future enrollees may make the Merchant Marine a less appealing option and have a negative impact on personnel levels.
Impact
Merchant mariners and midshipmen at the Merchant Marine Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Defense.
Cost of S. 1326
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.
Additional Info
In-Depth: As of 2006, the U.S. Merchant Marine operated 465 ships that exceeded 1,000 gross register tons (GRT) each, for a total of 10,590,325 GRT — with 29,000 Deck Officers, 12,000 Marine Engineers, and 28,000 unlicensed sailors.
In general, the Merchant Marine operates U.S. flagged cargo vessels that are privately owned and used in general commerce, but in times in war 100 percent of U.S. military cargo that is transported by sea must be on either a Merchant Marine or Navy vessel. In this regard, the Merchant Marine is essentially an auxiliary Navy.
The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five service academies, was established in 1943, and has over 1,000 midshipmen enrolled at a given time.
Of Note: The U.S. imports more than one billion tons of cargo every year, and U.S. trade in foreign goods is expected to grow by more than half of its current tonnage by 2020.
Media:
Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Flickr user jeremysmerritt)
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