2017 US Code
Title 46 - Shipping
Subtitle II - Vessels and Seamen
Part E - Merchant Seamen Licenses, Certificates, and Documents
Chapter 75 - General Procedures for Licensing, Certification, and Documentation
Sec. 7502 - Records

(a) The Secretary shall maintain records, including electronic records, on the issuances, denials, suspensions, and revocations of licenses, certificates of registry, merchant mariners' documents, and endorsements on those licenses, certificates, and documents.

(b) The Secretary may prescribe regulations requiring a vessel owner or managing operator of a commercial vessel, or the employer of a seaman on that vessel, to maintain records of each individual engaged on the vessel subject to inspection under chapter 33 on matters of engagement, discharge, and service for not less than 5 years after the date of the completion of the service of that individual on the vessel. The regulations may require that a vessel owner, managing operator, or employer shall make these records available to the individual and the Coast Guard on request.

(c) A person violating this section, or a regulation prescribed under this section, is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000.

(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 545; Pub. L. 101–380, title IV, §4114(e), Aug. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 517; Pub. L. 111–281, title VI, §605, Oct. 15, 2010, 124 Stat. 2967.)

Section 7502 requires the Secretary to maintain records on the issuances, denials, suspensions, and revocations of licenses, certificates of registry, merchant mariner's documents, and endorsements.

Pub. L. 111–281 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted "records, including electronic records," for "computerized records", and added subsecs. (b) and (c).

1990—Pub. L. 101–380 substituted "maintain computerized records" for "maintain records".

Amendment by Pub. L. 101–380 applicable to incidents occurring after Aug. 18, 1990, see section 1020 of Pub. L. 101–380, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2701 of Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters.