SEA YEAR ON CONTRACTED VESSELS.

SEC. 3512. SEA YEAR ON CONTRACTED VESSELS. Section 51307 of title 46, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking “The Secretary” and inserting the following: “(a) In General.—The Secretary” ; (2) in paragraph (1) of subsection (a), by striking “owned or subsidized by” and inserting “owned, subsidized by, or contracted with”; and (3) by adding at the end the following: “(b) Maritime Security Program Vessels.—The Secretary shall require an operator of a vessel participating in the Maritime Security Program under chapter 531 of this title to carry on each Maritime Security Program vessel 2 United States Merchant Marine Academy cadets, if available, on each voyage. “(c) Military Sealift Command Vessels.— “(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Commander of the Military Sealift Command shall require an operator of a vessel in the United States Navy’s Military Sealift Command to carry on each such vessel 2 United States Merchant Marine Academy cadets, if available, on each voyage, if the vessel— “(A) is flagged in the United States; and “(B) is rated at 10,000 gross tons or higher. “(2) Waiver.—The Commander of the Military Sealift Command may waive the requirement under paragraph (1) at any time if the Commander determines that carrying a cadet from the United States Merchant Marine Academy would place an undue burden on the vessel or the operator of the vessel. “(d) Definition of Operator.—In this section, the term ‘operator’ includes a government operator and a non-government operator. “(e) Savings Clause.—Nothing in this section may be construed as affecting— “(1) the discretion of the Secretary to determine whether to place a United States Merchant Marine Academy cadet on a vessel; “(2) the authority of the Coast Guard regarding a vessel security plan approved under section 70103; or “(3) the discretion of the master of the vessel to ensure the safety of all crew members.” .