Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 : section 109 implementation : a report to Congress

PDFResearch PaperSecurityOcean shippingWater transportationEducation and trainingCurriculaCooperationUnited StatesIndiaUnited States. Maritime AdministrationUnited States Merchant Marine AcademyNTL-MARINE/WATERWAYS TRANSPORTATION-Marine SafetyNTL-LAWS AND REGULATIONS-Federal LawsNTL-LAWS AND REGULATIONS-Federal Standards and RulesUS Transportation CollectionThe U.S. Congress enacted the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) of 2002 (Public Law 107- 295) on November 25, 2002. On April 3, 2003, the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) delegated to the Maritime Administrator the authority to implement Section 109 of the MTSA, which requires the Secretary, not later than six months after the date of enactment, to develop standards and curriculum to allow for the training and certification of maritime security professionals. At the request of the Maritime Administrator, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) developed the standards and curriculum and prepared this report. The report characterizes security threats to the marine and intermodal transportation system; summarizes relevant domestic legislation, international conventions, and other guidance; delineates key workforce development issues; describes the project undertaken by MARAD in fulfillment of the Secretary's Section 109 responsibilities; presents the standards and curriculum developed in response to the MTSA mandate; and offers recommendations for the certification and oversight of maritime security education and training. Although the standards and curriculum development project was initiated in response to Section 109 of the MTSA, ongoing interagency partnerships and the developers' efforts to harmonize the requirements of domestic legislation and international conventions have led to the expansion of the original task to include the development by the USMMA (jointly with the government of India) of three model maritime security courses for the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO). The international implications and subsequent phases of the project are also discussed in this Report. The standards and model course frameworks presented in this report constitute specific guidance upon which education and training institutions can immediately base instruction in port, maritime, and intermodal security. The report also recommends external certification of such education and training, and proposes that the Maritime Administration provide the leadership for a program of certification, quality control, and oversight in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration. This report has two PDF file, one for the cover at http://www.marad.dot.gov/publications/MTSA/cover.pdf and one for the text body at http://www.marad.dot.gov/publications/MTSA/mtsa.pdf. The text body consists of 66 pages which can be navigated by the hyperlinked table of contents. This report is also available as a Word 2000 document that can be accessed at http://www.marad.dot.gov/publications/security.htm. References & appendices