Bill Overview
Title: Military to Mariners Act of 2022
Description: This bill modifies requirements related to U.S. Merchant Marine credentials for veterans and members of the uniformed services. Specifically, the bill requires the U.S. Coast Guard to review and examine all current procedures for issuing credentials for applicants who are veterans and members of the uniformed services seeking to become merchant mariners; provide the availability for a fully internet-based application process for a merchant mariner credential; issue new regulations to reduce the paperwork, delay, and other burdens for applicants for a merchant mariner credential who are veterans and members of the uniformed services and increase the percentages of time equivalent to sea service for such applicants; reduce burdens and create a means of alternative compliance to demonstrate instructor competency for Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers courses; and assess the use of the SkillBridge program of the Department of Defense as a means for transitioning active duty sea service personnel toward employment as a merchant mariner.
Sponsors: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Target Audience
Population: Veterans and members of the uniformed services seeking to become US Merchant Mariners
Estimated Size: 950000
- The bill specifically targets veterans and members of the uniformed services who are seeking credentials to become merchant mariners.
- There are approximately 18 million veterans in the United States, as of the latest data available in 2021.
- The number of active duty service members is about 1.3 million, while reserve components add around 800,000.
- Not all veterans or service members will pursue a career in the merchant marine, but the legislation aims to facilitate the transition for those who do.
- The SkillBridge program's use for transitioning active duty sea service personnel indicates a narrower focus on those within the maritime branch of the military.
Reasoning
- The majority of the policy's budget is allocated for streamlining processes and enhancing training and transition systems for veterans and maritime personnel.
- We expect variation in impact within the target population because only a subset of veterans and service members are interested in maritime careers.
- The commonness metric helps account for how representative each simulated person is of the broader population targeted by the policy.
Simulated Interviews
Navy Veteran (Norfolk, VA)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've been waiting for something like this. My sea service should count for more when applying for maritime roles.
- The online application will save a lot of hassle.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Merchant mariner aspirant (Seattle, WA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's great that my time in the reserves can help me transition to something commercial.
- Paperwork has been a nightmare in the past, so fewer forms is good news.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Engineer (Houston, TX)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'd like to stay in the maritime field using my engineering skills.
- Hope this helps me make a career shift.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Marine Engineer (San Diego, CA)
Age: 36 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Transitioning into commercial roles is tough; this should simplify things.
- Interested in how SkillBridge could help further.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Retired (Miami, FL)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This doesn't affect me as I'm not planning to go back to sea.
- I'm happy in retirement without maritime work.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Maritime Studies Graduate (Boston, MA)
Age: 27 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Streamlining the transition to a civil maritime career would be fantastic.
- Less paperwork is always a win.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Merchant Ship Captain (Galveston, TX)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've navigated this process before; improved systems will help new entrants a lot.
- I wish these changes had been around when I was transitioning.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Logistics Officer (New Orleans, LA)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't want to be at sea, but coordinating logistics aligns with my skills.
- This could open up more career options in the maritime industry.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Transitioning Coast Guard Member (Baltimore, MD)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy should definitely help by giving credit for my service time.
- Online applications are convenient for those like me on active duty.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Veteran Advocate (New York, NY)
Age: 42 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is a positive move for those looking to go into maritime work.
- It simplifies parts of the process that can be burdensome for veterans.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 2: $290000000 (Low: $240000000, High: $340000000)
Year 3: $280000000 (Low: $230000000, High: $330000000)
Year 5: $260000000 (Low: $210000000, High: $310000000)
Year 10: $210000000 (Low: $160000000, High: $260000000)
Year 100: $150000000 (Low: $100000000, High: $200000000)
Key Considerations
- The initial implementation costs are high due to technology upgrades for the internet-based application process.
- There is potential for increased efficiencies that may lead to long-term savings in administrative fees.
- The bill seeks to reduce burdens on veterans, enhancing their capacity to integrate into the civilian workforce.