June 9, 2026 — The Maritime Administration (Marad) published two companion final rules in the Federal Register on June 4, 2026, that together modernize and streamline the process by which corporations and other business entities must evidence United States citizenship to participate in Marad programs and obtain fishery endorsements for U.S.-flag fishing vessels. The first rule, amending 46 CFR Part 355, applies broadly to entities participating in Marad’s promotional programs, including the Capital Construction Fund, the Maritime Security Program, and federally guaranteed vessel financing (Title XI), and governs the standard affidavit of U.S. citizenship required under 46 U.S.C. 50501.
The second rule, amending 46 CFR Part 356, addresses specifically the American Fisheries Act (AFA) program, which imposes heightened citizenship requirements on owners of U.S.-flag fishing industry vessels of 100 feet or greater in registered length. Both rules became effective on June 4, 2026, and were classified as deregulatory actions under Executive Order 14192, meaning they are expected to reduce rather than increase the compliance burden on regulated entities.
The most significant change across both rules is the elimination of requirements to provide personally identifiable information, specifically dates and places of birth for corporate officers, directors, and stockholders, and social security numbers for AFA program participants, in the affidavit of U.S. citizenship. These changes are reflected in the revised form of affidavit of U.S. citizenship at 46 C.F.R. § 355.2, effective June 4, 2026, which no longer calls for birth information for officers, directors, or stockholders, and in the corresponding AFA affidavit at 46 C.F.R. § 356.5(d), which eliminates both social security numbers and birth information for corporate officers and directors.
Marad determined that this information did not meaningfully improve the agency’s ability to confirm citizenship and created an unnecessary risk of exposing sensitive personal data. Marad retains the authority to request such information individually where doubt arises, preserving its oversight capacity without requiring routine collection of PII from all filers. The Part 355 rule also eliminates the prior notarization requirement for the standard affidavit at § 355.2, reducing the administrative burden on first-time applicants and annual recertifying entities alike.