(a) When the training and assessment of competence required by this part are not subject to Coast Guard approval under §§10.402 and 10.407 of this subpart, but are used to qualify a mariner to hold an endorsement, the offeror of the course or program must ensure that such training and assessment meets the same standards as those found in §§10.402 and 10.403 of this subpart.

(b) The Coast Guard will accept courses approved and monitored by a Coast Guard-accepted Quality Standard System (QSS) organization. The Coast Guard maintains a list of training organizations conducting accepted training that are independently monitored by a Coast Guard-accepted QSS organization. The Coast Guard-accepted QSS organization must comply with the following requirements:

(1) Submit a certificate of acceptance of training to the Coast Guard.

(2) Submit an updated certificate of acceptance to the Coast Guard if the terms of acceptance have been changed.

(3) Sign each certificate to the training organization owner or operator, or its authorized representative(s), stating that the training fully complies with the requirements of this section, and identifying the Coast Guard-accepted QSS organization being used for independent monitoring.

(c) The training must be audited periodically in accordance with the requirements of §10.409(e)(7) of this subpart. If the Coast Guard determines, on the basis of its own observations or conclusions or those of the Coast Guard-accepted QSS organization, that the particular training does not satisfy one or more of the conditions described in paragraph (a) of this section—

(1) The Coast Guard or Coast Guard-accepted QSS organization will so notify the offeror of the training by letter, enclosing a report of the observations and conclusions;

(2) The offeror may, within a period of time specified in the notice, either appeal the observations or conclusions to the Commandant (CG-MMC) or bring the training into compliance; and

(3) If the appeal is denied—or if the deficiency is not corrected in the allotted time, or within any additional time period judged by the Coast Guard to be appropriate, considering progress toward compliance—the Coast Guard will remove the training from the list maintained under paragraph (b) of this section until it can verify full compliance. The Coast Guard may deny applications for endorsements based, in whole or in part, on training not on the list, until additional training or assessment is documented.

[USCG-2006-24371, 74 FR 11216, Mar. 16, 2009, as amended by USCG-2016-0315, 81 FR 43955, July 6, 2016]