User Fee Increases for Licenses, MMDs

Increased user fees for merchant marine licenses and Merchant Mariner Documents (MMDs) will take effect October 4. The USCG had proposed the fee increases in April 1998, following a court order resulting from a lawsuit brought by the Seafarers International Union (SIU) of North America. While the SIU lawsuit sought to prohibit the USCG from collecting user fees for mariner licensing and documentation, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia affirmed the USCG's authority to issue the fees and ordered the agency to recalculate the cost of providing licensing and documentation services. Completed in October 1996, that recalculation indicated USCG costs to provide licensing services exceeded the fees charged to mariners in most cases, paving the way for an eventual increase in licensing user fees. The August 5 final rule adopts the fee increases proposed by the USCG in April 1998, including the following changes for the licenses and documents most commonly held by towing industry personnel: · The fee for issuance of an original Operator, Uninspected Towing Vessels (OUTV) license will increase from $180 to $255 (reflecting a $115 license evaluation fee, a $95 examination fee, and a $45 fee for issuance of license). · The fee for renewal of an OUTV license will increase from $80 to $95 ($50 for license evaluation and $45 for issuance of license). · The fee for issuance of an MMD endorsed with a qualified rating (such as a tankerman endorsement) will increase from $95 to $155 ($110 for license evaluation and $45 for issuance of license). · The fee for renewal or an MMD with tankerman endorsement will increase from $80 to $95 ($50 for license evaluation and $45 for issuance of license). · The fee for issuance of an MMD without an endorsement would increase from $35 to $155 ($110 for license evaluation and $45 for issuance of license). · The fee for renewal of an unendorsed MMD would increase from $35 to $45 (for issuance of license). Under the new rule, a mariner may pay the entire fee at the time of application for a license or document, or pay the fee for each phase of the licensing process separately.