On March 4, 2019, President Trump signed an executive order to help sea veterans seamlessly transition into the United States Merchant Marine.

The U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) is the regulatory agency responsible for licensing and certifying U.S. merchant mariners working aboard those vessels which require credentialed mariners.

The Jones Act is critical to the military strategy of the U.S., which relies on the use of U.S. flag ships, crews, and the availability of a shipyard industrial base to support national defense needs.