Processing delays, unnecessary barriers, and outdated policies are holding back the merchant mariners America depends on. Five targeted reforms can fix this, with zero cost to taxpayers and zero compromise on safety.
Read the ReformsDay peak processing time
Cost to government
Targeted reforms
USCG authority retained
Policy Reform Briefs
Each reform addresses a specific, documented barrier in the USCG credentialing system. Click any brief to read the full proposal.
Establishing a dedicated expedited processing queue for applications pre-vetted by certified third-party validators.
Read briefRemoving barriers to workforce re-entry by allowing experienced mariners to renew expired credentials without forfeiting sea time.
Read briefImplementing a mandatory standardized sea service form and requiring annual issuance by employers.
Read briefAllowing military Common Access Cards to satisfy TWIC identity and security vetting requirements.
Read briefCreating a universal military sea service form and expanding signature authority for smoother military-to-mariner transitions.
Read briefWho We Are
The Merchant Mariner Policy Action Group is a coalition of credentialed mariners, USCG Approved training providers, and vessel operators from every sector of the American maritime industry. We are united around a single goal: modernizing the credentialing system that protects our Fourth Arm of Defense so it works as well as the mariners who depend on it.
These reforms cost taxpayers nothing, maintain full USCG authority, and fix documented problems that are costing the country qualified merchant mariners every day.