American Fisheries Act Program Update; Simplifying the Application Process
Key claim: MARAD is finalizing rule amendments to simplify annual citizenship renewal filings for U.S.-flag fishing vessel owners, update acceptable evidence for publicly traded entities, and eliminate collection of SSNs and birth details from citizenship affidavits.
Abstract
(Rule · Transportation Department, Maritime Administration) On July 1, 2025, MARAD published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), titled “American Fisheries Act Program Update; Simplifying the Application Process,” soliciting public comment on steps MARAD could take to simplify and modernize the process for evidencing U.S. citizenship for owners of U.S.-flag fishing industry vessels of 100 feet or greater in registered length. MARAD received one comment reiterating support for the steps MARAD has taken to update the regulation. MARAD’s amendments to the rule will simplify and streamline annual renewal filing for vessel owners whose citizenship information has not changed since their affidavit of U.S. citizenship (AFA Affidavit) filing, update acceptable methods for evidencing citizenship of publicly traded entities, and eliminate requirements to provide personally identifiable information (i.e., social security numbers and dates and places of birth for corporate officers and directors) in affidavits of AFA citizenship.
Why this matters
The rule reduces recurring paperwork burden on U.S.-flag fishing vessel owners who must annually reaffirm citizenship to maintain American Fisheries Act eligibility, while removing sensitive personal identifiers (SSNs, birth data) from MARAD’s collection. It aligns fisheries-program citizenship procedures with parallel modernization already applied to other MARAD programs, without altering substantive eligibility criteria.