Mariner Exam Modernization Act

This bill updates how the Coast Guard designs and reviews the test for merchant mariner credentials. It adds two recent test‑takers to the advisory working group, makes the group meet every year or whenever new questions are made, and lets members join remotely if they can’t attend in person. New questions can’t be used until the working group reviews and approves them. It also shifts key duties to the Coast Guard Commandant and speeds up the review timeline from one year to 270 days; one deadline is extended from 90 to 180 days. The review must look at whether the exam reflects current industry standards and technology, whether topics are relevant, and whether there’s overlap with other required training standards. After the review, the group reports its findings and recommendations to the Commandant.

Within 270 days after that review, the Commandant must create a plan to modernize the exam. The plan must cut or update outdated topics, use modern testing methods, and start tracking pass/fail data for questions and the overall test. The Coast Guard must brief Congress on the review and the plan within one year of the law taking effect.

• Who is affected: People taking the merchant mariner credential exam; the Coast Guard; exam working group members.
• What changes: Faster review timelines (270 days), one deadline extended to 180 days, required approval of new questions, yearly meetings, remote participation, and a modernization plan that updates content, testing methods, and data tracking.
• When: The review is due within 270 days; the modernization plan is due within 270 days after the review; briefing to Congress is due within one year of enactment.