MERCHANT MARINER DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS.

SEC. 324. MERCHANT MARINER DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS. (a) Interim Merchant Mariners’ Documents.—Section 7302 of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking “A” in subsection (f) and inserting “Except as provided in subsection (g), a”; and (2) by adding at the end the following: “(g)(1) The Secretary may, pending receipt and review of information required under subsections (c) and (d), immediately issue an interim merchant mariner’s document valid for a period not to exceed 120 days, to— “(A) an individual to be employed as gaming personnel, entertainment personnel, wait staff, or other service personnel on board a passenger vessel not engaged in foreign service, with no duties, including emergency duties, related to the navigation of the vessel or the safety of the vessel, its crew, cargo or passengers; or “(B) an individual seeking renewal of, or qualifying for a supplemental endorsement to, a valid merchant mariner’s document issued under this section. “(2) No more than one interim document may be issued to an individual under paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection.”. (b) Exception.—Section 8701(a) of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking “and” after the semicolon in paragraph (8); (2) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (10); and (3) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following: “(9) a passenger vessel not engaged in a foreign voyage with respect to individuals on board employed for a period of not more than 30 service days within a 12 month period 116 STAT. 2105as entertainment personnel, with no duties, including emergency duties, related to the navigation of the vessel or the safety of the vessel, its crew, cargo or passengers; and”.