46 U.S.C. § 11202

Qualified service

For purposes of this chapter, an individual shall be considered to have engaged in qualified service if, between August 16, 1945 , and December 31, 1946 , the individual—

(1)

was a member of the United States merchant marine (including the Army Transport Service and the Naval Transport Service) serving as a crewmember of a vessel that was—

(A)

operated by the War Shipping Administration or the Office of Defense Transportation (or an agent of the Administration or Office);

(B)

operated in waters other than inland waters, the Great Lakes, and other lakes, bays, and harbors of the United States;

(C)

under contract or charter to, or property of, the Government of the United States; and

(D)

serving the Armed Forces; and

(2)

while so serving, was licensed or otherwise documented for service as a crewmember of such a vessel by an officer or employee of the United States authorized to license or document the individual for such service.

(Added Pub. L. 105–368, title IV, § 402(a) , Nov. 11, 1998 , 112 Stat. 3336 ; amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], § 8505(b)(12), Jan. 1, 2021 , 134 Stat. 4752 .)