2. Regulation of Merchant Marine Personnel and Protection of 

 Their Rights. 



Requirements : Examining, licensing, and certifying merchant 

 marine personnel, and licensing motorboat operators; prescribing 

 manning necessary for safe navigation; supervising shipment and 

 discharge of merchant seamen; controlling logbooks; maintaining 

 merchant marine personnel records; regulating pilotage, including 

 licensing of pilots under the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960 ; and 

 administering the security program relating to merchant seamen. 



PTohlem Areas : Problems exist regarding the licensing of personnel 

 on nuclear vessels (involving Atomic Energy Commission) ; manning 

 requirements for diesel towboats and fishing vessels; and automation 

 of merchant vessels and other technological developments. The mari- 

 time industry reports the need for more uniform manning standards 

 and physical fitness tests for merchant seamen. 



3. Engineering and Technical Supervision over Safety Standards. 

 Requirements : Approving plans and specifications for construction 



or alteration of merchant vessels ; classification of vessels ; conducting 

 stability tests on merchant vessels and preparing stability letters; 

 examining and testing equipment and devices submitted for Coast 

 Guard approval or for determination of suitability ; developing regu- 

 lations for naval architecture; for marine, chemical and electrical 

 engineering; for firefighting and safety equipment and other mer- 

 chant marine safety functions ; and reviewing vessel load line certifi- 

 cates and enforcing load line regulations. 



Prohlem Area^ : Problems exist in regard to technological develop- 

 ments in new types of vessels requiring increasing technical compe- 

 tence in plan approval and regulation and in regard to duplication 

 of plan approval and work backlog. The maritime industry reports 

 a lack of uniformity in some regulations, unnecessary repetition in 

 others, and delays in approval of ship construction plans. The in- 

 dustry recommends that a single Federal agency be responsible for 

 the entire field of merchant marine safety. 



4. Investigation and Review of Marine Casualties and Acts of In- 

 competency or Misconduct. 



Requirements : Investigating accidents and complaints ; revoking 

 or suspending licenses or certificates as appropriate; and presenting 

 cases brought before hearing examiners. 



Prohlem Areas: No significant problems other than possible dupli- 

 cation between Department of Labor hearings and those of the Coast 

 Guard. 



5. Liaison %oith Maritione Industry and International Bodies. 



Requirements: Two Coast Guard organizational units, the Mer- 

 chant Marine Council and the International Maritime Safety Co- 

 ordinating Staff. 



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