Mr. Chairman. the Coast Guard has testified that "there is no casualty data which indicates that safety would be improved by H.R. 4394." Based on that finding. the Coast Guard does not support this bill. There are 30.000 undocumented maritime workers in the United States who would be affected by this legislation. There are entryie..1 unskilled employees who serve as cooks and deckhands. These undocume:rted workers are not involved with the operational control of a vessel. They do not have pilotage. navigation. or wheelhouse responsibilities nor do they handle or transfer petroleum or chemical products. In fact. even if we require all undocumented workers to obtain merchant mariner documents. this situation will not change. These workers still would not be involved with the navigation of a vessel. nor would they handle hazardous cargo. In short. the only way they are going to pollute our waters is if an undocumented chief throws cooking oil overboard. While undocumented workers do not go through an FBI narcotics check. they are required by law to pass a preemployment drug test and are subject to random drug testing. as well as postcasualty and for cause drug testing. If any of these undocumented workers has a substance problem. they will not sail until a doctor certifies that they are no longer drug or alcohol dependent. Mr. Chairman. proponents argue that the cost of obtaining a merchant mariner document is not prohibitive.
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