46 USC § 15103 - National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s15103"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 15103 - National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "15103"
section_name: "National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee"
chapter_number: 151
chapter_name: "NATIONAL MARITIME TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEES"
part_number: "K"
part_name: "National Maritime Transportation Advisory Committees"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 115–282, title VI, § 601(a), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4282.)"
---


# § 15103. National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee

**(a)** **Establishment.—** There is established a National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the “Committee”).

**(b)** **Function.—** The Committee shall advise the Secretary on matters relating to personnel in the United States merchant marine, including the training, qualifications, certification, documentation, and fitness of mariners.

**(c)** **Membership.—**

**(1)** **In general.—** The Committee shall consist of 19 members appointed by the Secretary in accordance with this section and section 15109 of this chapter.

**(2)** **Expertise.—** Each member of the Committee shall have particular expertise, knowledge, and experience in matters relating to the function of the Committee.

**(3)** **Representation.—** Members of the Committee shall be appointed as follows:

**(A)** 9 members shall represent mariners and, of the 9—

**(i)** each shall—

**(I)** be a citizen of the United States; and

**(II)** hold an active license or certificate issued under chapter 71 of this title or a merchant mariner document issued under chapter 73 of this title;

**(ii)** 3 shall be deck officers who represent merchant marine deck officers and, of the 3—

**(I)** 2 shall be licensed for oceans any gross tons;

**(II)** 1 shall be licensed for inland river route with a limited or unlimited tonnage;

**(III)** 2 shall have a master’s license or a master of towing vessels license;

**(IV)** 1 shall have significant tanker experience; and

**(V)** to the extent practicable—

**(aa)** 1 shall represent labor; and

**(bb)** 1 shall represent management;

**(iii)** 3 shall be engineering officers who represent merchant marine engineering officers and, of the 3—

**(I)** 2 shall be licensed as chief engineer any horsepower;

**(II)** 1 shall be licensed as either a limited chief engineer or a designated duty engineer; and

**(III)** to the extent practicable—

**(aa)** 1 shall represent labor; and

**(bb)** 1 shall represent management;

**(iv)** 2 shall be unlicensed seamen who represent merchant marine unlicensed seaman and, of the 2—

**(I)** 1 shall represent able-bodied seamen; and

**(II)** 1 shall represent qualified members of the engine department; and

**(v)** 1 shall be a pilot who represents merchant marine pilots.

**(B)** 6 members shall represent marine educators and, of the 6—

**(i)** 3 shall be marine educators who represent maritime academies and, of the 3—

**(I)** 2 shall represent State maritime academies (and are jointly recommended by such academies); and

**(II)** 1 shall represent either State maritime academies or the United States Merchant Marine Academy; and

**(ii)** 3 shall be marine educators who represent other maritime training institutions and, of the 3, 1 shall represent the small vessel industry.

**(C)** 2 members shall represent shipping companies employed in ship operation management.

**(D)** 2 members shall represent the general public.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 115–282, title VI, § 601(a), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4282.)