Sec.  3.10   Basic qualifications.

   (a) Applicants must meet the requirements and conditions contained in these
   rules in order to be certified as an accounting authority. No individual or
   other  entity,  including  accounting  authorities  approved  by other
   administrations, may act as a United States accounting authority and settle
   accounts  of  U.S. licensed vessels in the maritime mobile or maritime
   mobile-satellite  services  without  a  certification from the Federal
   Communications Commission. Accounting authorities with interim certification
   as of the effective date of this rule must submit to the application process
   discussed in  Sec. 3.20. They will be “grandfathered”, i.e, granted permanent
   certification provided they demonstrate their eligibility and present a
   proper application.

   (b) U.S. citizenship is not required of individuals in order to receive
   certification from the Commission to be an accounting authority. Likewise,
   joint ventures need not be organized under the laws of the United States in
   order to be eligible to perform settlements for U.S. licensed vessels. See,
   however,  Sec. 3.11.

   (c) Prior experience in maritime accounting, general commercial accounting,
   international shipping or any other related endeavor will be taken into
   consideration by the Commission in certifying accounting authorities. The
   lack  of such expertise, however, will not automatically disqualify an
   individual,  partnership, corporation or other entity from becoming an
   accounting authority.

   (d) Applicants must provide formal financial statements or documentation
   proving all assets, liabilities, income and expenses.

   (e) Applicants must offer their services to any member of the public making
   a reasonable request therefor, without undue discrimination against any
   customer or class of customer, and fees charged for providing such services
   shall be reasonable and non-discriminatory. This requirement will be waived
   for applicants who settle their own accounts only and are eligible to be
   “grandfathered” during the initial application period. However, should the
   need for additional accounting authorities be proven, these accounting
   authorities  will be required to offer their services to the public or
   relinquish their certification.

   [ 61 FR 20165 , May 6, 1996, as amended at  64 FR 40776 , July 28, 1999]