§ 51302. Nomination and competitive appointment of cadets
(a)
Requirements.—
An individual may be nominated for a competitive appointment as a cadet at the United States Merchant Marine Academy only if the individual—
(b)
Nominators.—
Nominations for competitive appointments for the positions allocated under subsection (c) may be made as follows:
(2)
A Member of the House of Representatives may nominate residents of the State in which the congressional district represented by that Member is located.
(3)
A Delegate to the House of Representatives from the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Guam, or American Samoa may nominate residents of the jurisdiction represented by that Delegate.
(4)
The Resident Commissioner to the United States from Puerto Rico may nominate residents of Puerto Rico.
(5)
The Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands may nominate residents of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(6)
The Panama Canal Commission may nominate—
(A)
residents, or sons or daughters of residents, of an area or installation in Panama and made available to the United States under the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, the agreements relating to and implementing that Treaty, signed September 7, 1977, and the Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Panama Concerning Air Traffic Control and Related Services, concluded January 8, 1979; and
(c)
Allocation of Positions.—
Positions for competitive appointments shall be allocated each year as follows:
(1)
Positions shall be allocated for residents of each State nominated by the Members of Congress from that State in proportion to the representation in Congress from that State.
(2)
Four positions shall be allocated for residents of the District of Columbia nominated by the Delegate to the House of Representatives from the District of Columbia.
(3)
One position each shall be allocated for residents of the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa nominated by the Delegates to the House of Representatives from the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, respectively.
(4)
One position shall be allocated for a resident of Puerto Rico nominated by the Resident Commissioner to the United States from Puerto Rico.
(d)
Competitive System for Appointment.—
(1)
Establishment of system.—
The Secretary shall establish a competitive system for selecting individuals nominated under subsection (b) to fill the positions allocated under subsection (c). The system must determine the relative merit of each individual based on competitive examinations, an assessment of the individual’s academic background, and other effective indicators of motivation and probability of successful completion of training at the Academy.