GAO REPORT.

SEC. 11513. GAO REPORT. (a) In General.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall prepare and submit a report to Congress that evaluates the processes of the National Maritime Center for processing and approving merchant mariner credentials, as of the date of enactment of this Act. (b) Contents.—In preparing the report required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall— (1) analyze the effectiveness of the merchant mariner credentialing process, as of the date of enactment of this Act; (2) analyze the backlogs relating to the merchant mariner credentialing process and the reasons for such backlogs; and (3) provide recommendations for improving and expediting the merchant mariner credentialing process, including funding needed to support improved processing times.