The regulations in this part provide:

(a) A means of determining and verifying the qualifications an applicant must possess to be eligible for certification to serve on merchant vessels;

(b) A means of determining that an applicant is competent to serve under the authority of his or her merchant mariner credential (MMC);

(c) A means of confirming that an applicant does not pose a threat to national security through the requirement to hold a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC); and

(d) A means of determining whether the applicant for an MMC is a safe and suitable person.

[USCG-2006-24371, 74 FR 11216, Mar. 16, 2009, as amended by USCG-2004-17914, 78 FR 77882, Dec. 24, 2013]