(a)(1) Any person who is not an attorney at law may be admitted to practice before the Commission if he or she is a citizen of the United States and files proof to the satisfaction of the Commission that he or she possesses the necessary legal, technical, or other qualifications to render valuable service before the Commission and is otherwise competent to advise and assist in the presentation of matters before the Commission. Applications by persons not attorneys at law for admission to practice before the Commission shall be made on the forms prescribed therefor, which may be obtained from the Secretary of the Commission, and shall be addressed to the Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC, 20573, and shall be accompanied by a fee as required by § 503.50(d) of this chapter.

(2) The application for admission to practice before the Commission by persons not attorneys at law can be downloaded from the Commission's Web site, www.fmc.gov, or acquired from the Secretary of the Commission and must be accompanied by a fee as required by § 503.43(e) of this chapter. The application should be sent to the Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573.

(3) All applicants must complete the following certification:

I. __________________________ (Name) ________________________, certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States, that I have not been convicted, after September 1, 1989, of any Federal or State offense involving the distribution or possession of a controlled substance, or that if I have been so convicted, I am not ineligible to receive Federal benefits, either by court order or operation of law, pursuant to 21 U.S.C. 862.

(b) The Commission, in its discretion, may call upon the applicant for a full statement of the nature and extent of his or her qualifications. If the Commission is not satisfied as to the sufficiency of the applicant's qualifications, it will so notify him or her by registered mail, whereupon he or she shall be granted a hearing upon request for the purpose of showing his or her qualifications. If the applicant presents to the Commission no request for such hearing within twenty (20) days after receiving the notification above referred to, his or her application shall be acted upon without further notice.

(c) The Commission may deny admission to, suspend, or prohibit any person from practice before the Commission who it finds does not possess the requisite qualifications to represent others or is lacking in character, integrity, or proper professional conduct. Non-attorneys who have been admitted to practice before the Commission may be excluded from such practice only after being afforded an opportunity to be heard.

(d) A non-attorney may not practice before the Commission unless and until an application has been approved.

(e) Paragraph (d) of this section shall not apply, however, to any person who appears before the Commission on his or her own behalf or on behalf of any corporation, partnership, or association of which he or she is a partner, officer, or regular employee. [Rule 27.]