---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 15103"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "15103"
heading: "National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/15103"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen"
  - "Part K — National Maritime Transportation Advisory Committees"
  - "Chapter 151 — National Maritime Transportation Advisory Committees"
---

# §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](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) 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](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) in accordance with this section and [section 15109](/usc/46/15109.md) 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](/usc/46/12101.md?p=b-2) or certificate issued under [chapter 71](/usc/46/chstII/ptE/ch71.md) of this title or a merchant mariner document issued under [chapter 73](/usc/46/chstII/ptE/ch73.md) 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](/usc/46/10101.md?p=1)’s [license](/usc/46/12101.md?p=b-2) or a [master](/usc/46/10101.md?p=1) of [towing vessels](/usc/46/2101.md?p=54) [license](/usc/46/12101.md?p=b-2);
        - (IV) 1 shall have significant [tanker](/usc/46/2101.md?p=52) 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](/usc/46/10101.md?p=3) 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.)