Vessel Safety and Fishermen's Benefits Act

Vessel Safety and Fishermen's Benefits' Act - Title I: Fishing Vessel Safety - Makes it the purposes of this title to authorize and direct the Secretary of Commerce to undertake a safety and health program for members of the United States commercial fishing fleet, to promulgate safety and health standards and to certify those in compliance with such standards, and to provide loan guarantees to vessel owners for improving their vessels to comply with safety and health standards.

Directs the Secretary of Commerce to promulgate safety and health standards for commercial fishing vessels in consultation with: (1) the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating; and (2) the National Safety Advisory Committee created pursuant to this Act.

Directs the Secretary to provide for the inspection of any vessel and the examination of crew members thereof to determine whether such vessel and crew are in compliance with safety and health standards promulgated pursuant to this Act.

Provides for certification of fishing vessels under this Act for purposes of vessel safety.

Authorizes the payment by the Secretary of loan guarantees to cover loans for the cost of equipping and improving of vessels to meet safety requirements of this Act.

Provides for the Secretary to conduct directly, or through grants or contracts, health and safety information and training programs in order to familarize members of the United States commercial fishing vessel fleet with the safety and health standards promulgated pursuant to this title.

Directs the Secretary to establish five regional safety advisory committees covering the coastal areas of the United States. States that members of the regional safety advisory committees shall consult with members of the United States commercial fishing vessel fleet and with appropriate public and private agencies and organizations. Directs members to analyze and investigate accident reports submitted to them pursuant to this Act. Directs members to advise and make recommendations on matters relating to vessel safety to the national safety advisory committee established under this Act and to the commercial fishing fleet.

Directs the Secretary to establish a national safety advisory committee, composed of the chairman of each of the regional safety advisory committees, and other members as the Secretary may direct. States that committee members shall consult with members of the commercial fishing industry and appropriate public and private agencies and organizations on matters relating to commercial fishing vessel safety, and shall advise and make recommendations to the Secretary regarding the adoption of safety and health standards.

Authorizes to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this title.

Title II: Fishermen's Benefits - Provides that every employer whose vessel is normally operated with a person other than himself is subject to the provisions of this title. Provides that such employer shall file a certificate of compliance, in accordance with a form prescribed by the terms used in this Act.

States that if an employee suffers injury while working outside the territorial limits of the United States, on the account of which he, or in the event of his dealth, his dependents would have been entitled to the benefits provided by this title had such injury occurred in territorial waters, such employee or his dependents shall be entitled to the benefits provided by this title.

Provides that for any injury covered by this title, the employee shall be entitled to all medical care and rehabilitation services, and appliances and supplies, which are required by the nature of his injury and which will relieve pain and promote and hasten his restoration to health and employment.

Provides for income benefits to be paid for disability under this Act. Provides for a waiting period before payment of benefits under this Act.

Sets forth a schedule of payment amounts for specified classes of injuries and losses.

Establishes in the Treasury of the United States a special fund for payments under this Act.

Authorizes the appropriation of such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.