---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 51707"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "51707"
heading: "Merchant mariner recruitment, training, and retention strategic plan"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/51707"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Merchant Marine"
  - "Part B — Merchant Marine Service"
  - "Chapter 517 — Other Support for Merchant Marine Training"
---

# §51707. Merchant mariner recruitment, training, and retention strategic plan

- (a) **1Strategic Plan.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, and at least once every five years thereafter until the termination date under [paragraph (6)](#a-6), the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of Transportation, acting through the [Administrator](/usc/46/53701.md?p=2) of the Maritime Administration, shall publish in the Federal Register a plan to recruit, train, and retain merchant mariners for the five-year period following the date of publication of the most recently published plan under this paragraph.
  - (2) **Contents.—** A plan published under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) shall contain—
    - (A) a strategy to address merchant mariner recruitment, training, and retention issues in the [United States](/usc/46/53101.md?p=10); and
    - (B) demonstration and research priorities concerning merchant mariner recruitment, training, and retention.
  - (3) **Factors.—** In developing a plan under [paragraph (1)](#a-1), the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) shall take into account, at a minimum—
    - (A) the availability of existing research (as of the date of publication of the plan); and
    - (B) the need to ensure results that have broad applicability for the [United States](/usc/46/53101.md?p=10) merchant marine workforce development.
  - (4) **Consultation.—** In developing a plan under [paragraph (1)](#a-1), the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) shall consult with representatives of the maritime industry, labor organizations, including the Commander of the Transportation Command and the Commander of the Military Sealift Command, and other governmental entities and stakeholders in the maritime industry.
  - (5) **Transmittal to congress.—** The [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) shall transmit copies of any plan published under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
  - (6) **Termination date.—** The requirement to publish a plan under this paragraph shall terminate on the date that the [Administrator](/usc/46/53701.md?p=2) of the Maritime Administration determines that there is an adequate number of [United States](/usc/46/53101.md?p=10) mariners for sustained strategic sealift.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. No subsec. (b) has been enacted.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 116–283, div. C, title XXXV, § 3508(a), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4405.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 116–283, which was approved Jan. 1, 2021.