§ 52101. Reemployment rights for certain merchant seamen
(a)
In General.—
An individual who is certified by the Secretary of Transportation under subsection (c) shall be entitled to reemployment rights and other benefits substantially equivalent to the rights and benefits provided for by chapter
43 of title
38 for any member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States who is ordered to active duty.
(b)
Time for Application.—
An individual may submit an application for certification under subsection (c) to the Secretary not later than 45 days after the date the individual completes a period of employment described in subsection (c)(1)(A) with respect to which the application is submitted.
(c)
Certification Determination.—
Not later than 20 days after the date the Secretary receives from an individual an application for certification under this subsection, the Secretary shall—
(1)
determine whether the individual—
(d)
Equivalence to Military Selective Service Act Certificate.—
For purposes of reemployment rights and benefits provided by this section, a certification under subsection (c) shall be considered to be the equivalent of a certificate described in section 9(a) of the Military Selective Service Act (50 App. U.S.C. 459
(a)).