H.R. 4275 — Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025

This section reauthorizes appropriations for necessary expenses of the Coast Guard for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 (from fiscal years 2022 and 2023), with the following amounts: (1) for operation and maintenance, $11,287,500,000 for FY2025, $11,851,875,000 for FY2026, $13,500,000,000 for FY2027, $14,500,000,000 for FY2028, and $15,500,000,000 for FY2029 (from $10,000,000,000 for FY2022 and $10,750,000,000 for FY2023), of which $25,570,000 for FY2025 and $26,848,500 respectively for FY2026 through FY2029 shall be for environmental compliance and restoration (from $23,456,000 for FY2022 and $24,353,000 for FY2023); (2) for procurement, construction, renovation, improvement of aids to navigation, shore facilities, vessels, aircraft, and systems, $3,627,600,000 for FY2025, $3,651,480,000 for FY2026, $3,700,000,000 for FY2027, $3,750,000,000 for FY2028, and $3,800,000,000 for FY2029 (from $3,312,114,000 for FY2022 and $3,477,600,000 for FY2023), of which $20,400,000 for FY2022 and $20,808,000 for FY2023 shall be for alteration of bridges; (3) for research, development, test, and evaluation, $15,415,000 for FY2025, $67,701,000 for FY2026, $70,000,000 for FY2027, $75,000,000 for FY2028, and $80,000,000 for FY2029 (from $7,476,000 for FY2022 and $14,681,084 for FY2023); and (4) for retired pay (replacing prior authorization for Medicare-eligible retiree health care fund contributions), including payments under specified plans, career status bonuses, continuation pay, concurrent receipts, combat-related special compensation, and medical care of retirees and dependents, $1,147,244,000 for FY2025, $1,057,929,000 for FY2026, $1,215,000,000 for FY2027, $1,380,000,000 for FY2028, and $1,650,000,000 for FY2029 (from $240,577,000 for FY2022 and $252,887,000 for FY2023).

This section revises authorized end-of-year strengths for Coast Guard active duty personnel to 50,000 for each of FY2025 and FY2026 (from 44,500 for each of FY2022 and FY2023), 55,000 for FY2027, and 60,000 for each of FY2028 and FY2029; and revises authorized average military training student loads for FY2025 through FY2029 (previously specified only for FY2022 and FY2023) to (1) 4,000 student years for recruit and special training (from 2,500), (2) 250 student years for flight training (from 165), (3) 700 student years for professional training in military and civilian institutions (from 385), and (4) 1,600 student years for officer acquisition (from 1,200). The section further requires the Coast Guard Commandant to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation a report on the plan to achieve 60,000 active duty personnel in any fiscal year when the President's budget submission under 31 U.S.C. 1105 does not include a proportional increase in Operations and Support funding to support these strengths; the report must include proposed missions and purposes for the growth, additional estimated salaries and benefits costs through FY2032, an explanation for the funding omission, estimated recruiting resources and costs for FY2027 through FY2032, and estimated training resources and costs for enlisted and officer growth for FY2027 through FY2032 (with the Commandant unable to delegate this briefing). Finally, this section provides that 10 U.S.C. 517(a)—which limits total commissioned officer strengths across the armed forces—does not apply to the Coast Guard until October 1, 2027.

This section amends Coast Guard capital investment plan reporting requirements (14 U.S.C. 5102) by adding a new subsection (c) that requires the Commandant to provide in-person, non-delegable briefings to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation every 30 days until any required report is submitted. The section also directs the Commandant to submit the following reports on homeporting and shore infrastructure, all of which must be published on a publicly accessible Coast Guard website: (1) not later than 180 days after enactment, a report assessing current homeports and stations, planned assets, decommissions, and infrastructure needs (including costs for planning, engineering, design, construction, land acquisition, and remediation) for Level 1 and Level 2 acquisitions (i.e., major Coast Guard programs) in the obtain phase; (2) not later than 90 days after enactment, an initial report on progress of approved homeporting projects for Fast Response Cutters, Offshore Patrol Cutters, and USCGC Storis in the Coast Guard Arctic District, including funding status, activities completed and planned, and project timelines, with annual updates each July 1 through July 2, 2031, or project completion (covering any additional approved projects); and (3) not later than 120 days after enactment (completed within 90 days), a report on costs and timeframes to expand industrial capacity at Coast Guard Base Ketchikan for out-of-water repairs on Fast Response Cutters. (Homeporting project means facility modifications, upgrades, new construction, land acquisition, and associated infrastructure (e.g., maintenance facilities, housing) for new or modified cutters.)

This section revises the Coast Guard's biennial report on the status of major acquisition programs—covering mission needs, performance goals, mission hour gaps, cost and timeline changes, asset integration plans, budget allocations, legacy asset costs, and acquisition workforce adequacy—to cover only Level 1 acquisitions or Level 2 acquisitions (from all major acquisition programs). It defines those terms in new subsection (f) by reference to 14 U.S.C. 1171 (i.e., highest-risk and highest-cost programs) and updates a cross-reference in the major acquisition program risk assessment requirement (14 U.S.C. 5107).

This section revises Coast Guard acquisition reporting requirements (at 14 U.S.C. 5107) to require quarterly briefings (not later than 45 days after the end of each fiscal quarter, as compared to annual briefings by October 15) on all Level 1 and Level 2 acquisition programs (as defined in 14 U.S.C. 11171, as compared to major acquisition programs as defined in 14 U.S.C. 5103(f)). It further requires (1) additional briefings not later than one week before procurement actions significantly impacting costs or timelines for such programs; (2) expanded briefing elements for each program, including program purpose and capabilities, annual acquisition units, Acquisition Review Board status, baseline cost/schedule/performance comparisons, detailed lifecycle cost estimates, independent verification summaries, fund obligation tables, prime contractors, and risk narratives retaining prior elements on top risks, test failures, full-rate production decisions, and cost/schedule breaches (as defined in the Coast Guard's Major Systems Acquisition Manual); and (3) submission of approved Acquisition Decision Memoranda to the specified congressional committees not later than five business days after approval. (Thus, these changes increase reporting frequency, broaden program coverage, and add detail and triggers for congressional oversight of Coast Guard acquisitions.) It also makes a clerical amendment to the table of contents for 14 U.S.C. chapter 51.

This section establishes a new section 5116 in chapter 51 of title 14, U.S. Code, requiring the Coast Guard Commandant to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, within 60 days of enactment and by March 1 annually thereafter, a report on overdue reports and briefings required under that chapter. The report must include (1) the status of each overdue item, its due date, and days overdue if applicable; (2) a plan and timeline for completion; and (3) the responsible flag officer. If the report is not submitted, the Commandant must provide in-person briefings to the committees every 30 days until submitted, without delegation. This section also makes a conforming amendment to the chapter analysis.

This section requires the Coast Guard Commandant to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, not later than six months after enactment, a report on the status of implementing recommendations from the Government Accountability Office report titled “Aircraft Fleet and Aviation Workforce Assessments Needed,” issued April 9, 2024 (GAO–24–106374). The report must include (1) an assessment of helicopter types required to meet Coast Guard mission demands; (2) an analysis of alternatives, including a study comparing operational effectiveness, costs, and risks to identify the best-suited aircraft; and (3) a fleet mix analysis determining the necessary number of helicopters across all districts. This section prohibits obligating or expending funds authorized under 14 U.S.C. §4902(2)(A) (as added by section 101(3)(A)) for helicopter procurement or modernization in FY2027 through FY2029 until the report is submitted, unless the Commandant provides weekly, non-delegable in-person briefings on report status. This section requires the Commandant to maintain an operational, geographically dispersed rotary-wing fleet of not less than 140 aircraft until report submission and, if the fleet falls below that level, to notify the committees within five business days.

This section prohibits the Coast Guard Commandant from obligating or expending funds appropriated by Public Law 119-21 under specified conditions and requires congressional notifications and reports concerning such funds. Specifically, the section— (1) prohibits obligation or expenditure of such funds (A) during any fiscal year in which the Commandant is not compliant with 14 U.S.C. §§ 5102 and 5103 (excluding § 5103(e)), which address Coast Guard workforce planning and management, and (B) until the Commandant submits to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation the report required by § 11217 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263); (2) requires notification to those committees at least one week before any procurement action affecting estimated costs or timelines for acquisitions or procurements funded by Public Law 119-21; (3) directs submission to those committees, within 90 days after enactment of Public Law 119-21, of a detailed expenditure plan including projected timelines for each funded acquisition or procurement and a list of funded project locations; (4) prohibits obligation of such funds for any Coast Guard vessel granted a presidential exception under 14 U.S.C. § 1151(b) (i.e., to U.S. shipyard construction requirements) until the President submits to those committees a written national security justification, including confirmation of insufficient qualified U.S. shipyards and prior actions taken to address shortfalls; and (5) requires, notwithstanding Public Law 119-21, that any cutters or aircraft procured with such funds meet certification and classification standards under 14 U.S.C. § 1133(c).

This section requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Chief of Naval Operations, not later than 120 days after enactment, to submit to specified House and Senate committees a report on Polar Security Cutter (PSC) acquisition status, including a timeline for the first three PSCs with projected commissioning dates, accounting of funds spent to date and updated cost projections, risks to completion, and a review of cost overruns and delays to date. The section further requires briefings to the same committees, beginning not later than 90 days after the report and at least every 90 days thereafter until PSC 2 achieves full operational capability (with briefings after key milestones), covering acquisition progress, updated timelines and budgets, and explanations of delays or added costs. It also requires notifications to the committees within three business days of any significant change to PSC acquisition scope or funding.

This section establishes annual reporting requirements for U.S. Coast Guard operations in the Pacific region—intended to support Department of State and Department of Defense missions such as maritime security—by adding new sections 5116 and 5117 to chapter 51 of title 14, U.S. Code, and making a conforming amendment to the chapter analysis. Section 5116 requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Secretaries of State and Defense, to submit to specified congressional committees (i.e., House and Senate Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure/Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Appropriations; and Armed Services) by December 31, 2025, and annually thereafter, an unclassified plan (with optional classified annex) for the following calendar year's Pacific operations that includes (1) objectives, (2) capabilities assessment, (3) areas needing increased presence, (4) projected demand from State and Defense Departments for the covered year and next 10 years, (5) ability to meet demand with limiting factors and asset transfer impacts, (6) needed resources (staff, infrastructure, support, technology), and (7) other relevant matters; the Commandant must also provide a briefing on each prior year's plan by February 15, 2026, and annually thereafter. Section 5117 requires the Commandant to submit to the same committees by February 15, 2026, and annually thereafter, an unclassified budget display (with optional classified annex) for the following fiscal year's Pacific operations—based on the most recent section 5116 plan—that details funding by procurement, research/development/test/evaluation, operation/maintenance, and military personnel accounts at specified sublevels, with a related briefing by February 15 annually.

This section repeals current 14 U.S.C. §102 and establishes a new §102 (transferred from §888(a) of P.L. 107-296, as amended) delineating the Coast Guard's primary duties, with due regard to national defense requirements, as follows: (1) non-homeland security missions, including marine safety (i.e., oceanographic research, safe Marine Transportation System operations, rescue facilities), search and rescue, aids to navigation, living marine resources protection (i.e., fisheries law enforcement), marine environmental protection, and ice operations; and (2) homeland security missions, including ports/waterways/coastal security, drug interdiction, migrant interdiction, defense readiness, and other law enforcement—all on, under, and over the high seas and U.S.-jurisdictional waters. This section further amends §888 of P.L. 107-296 to: (1) reference the new 14 U.S.C. §102 in subsection (d), clarifying that no primary duty may be reassigned without Coast Guard and DHS Secretary approval (whether requested by DHS on behalf of another agency or directly by another agency); and (2) revise subsection (e)(1) to prohibit the Secretary from substantially or significantly reducing such primary duties or Coast Guard capabilities to perform them, absent subsequent legislation. This section makes technical amendments to: (1) 14 U.S.C. §2516, inserting a reference to duties described in new §102 and striking subsection (d); and (2) §221 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2016 (10 U.S.C. §1413a note), replacing the cross-reference to former §888(a) of P.L. 107-296 with new 14 U.S.C. §102 to clarify eligibility of Coast Guard members for combat-related special compensation (CRSC). (CRSC provides monthly compensation to eligible combat-disabled retirees whose retired pay is reduced due to receipt of VA disability benefits, without regard to non-combat disabilities, subject to maximums tied to retired pay reductions under 38 U.S.C. §§5304-5305 and special rules for chapter 61 retirees.) This section requires the Coast Guard Commandant, in coordination with the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, to develop and submit to specified congressional committees (prior to bill-related implementation of 14 U.S.C. §201 and appointment of a Secretary of the Coast Guard) a plan addressing the structure, feasibility, reorganization, and restructuring needed for the new Secretary position.

This section establishes in the Coast Guard a Special Advisor to the Commandant for Tribal and Native Hawaiian Affairs as a career reserved position at the GS-15 level or greater. The Special Advisor, selected by the Secretary and Commandant through a competitive process with expertise in federal Indian law and policy (and, to the maximum extent practicable, Native Hawaiian issues), must (1) ensure government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes and engagement with Native Hawaiian and Tribal organizations that meets or exceeds federal and Coast Guard standards; (2) advise the Commandant on Coast Guard policies with Tribal implications; (3) coordinate implementation of relevant consultation policies across the Coast Guard; and (4) support Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Tribal organizations on Coast Guard matters, with direct access to the Secretary and Commandant. This section further requires the Commandant to provide (1) an initial briefing within 120 days of enactment to specified Senate and House committees on incorporating the Special Advisor into Coast Guard governance (with completion within one year); (2) annual briefings for two years, beginning one year after position establishment, on the Special Advisor's duties and actions; and (3) within one year of enactment, a briefing on collaborations with Tribes using indigenous place-based knowledge consistent with Coast Guard missions. This section redesignates sections 312 through 325 of title 14, United States Code, as sections 313 through 326 and makes conforming changes to the chapter analysis.

This section revises section 316 of title 14, United States Code—previously authorizing establishment of a Coast Guard museum on federal land in New London, Connecticut, with construction by a private association and no appropriated funds for construction—to instead require two training courses on Congress and the federal legislative process. It directs the Commandant to develop and offer annually a general course covering congressional history, structure, documents, processes (including budget, authorization, appropriations, and advice and consent), roles of Members and staff, and oversight, with at least 60% of lecturers from non-executive branch experts (pro bono services authorized); this course replaces substantially similar prior training required by the Commandant, exempting Coast Guard flag officers and Senior Executive Service employees who completed such training within three years before enactment. It further requires an in-person course with specified content on legislative processes, Coast Guard roles, and communications for personnel selected as fellows, liaisons, counsel, or administrative staff in the Coast Guard Office of Congressional and Governmental Affairs or as district/area governmental affairs officers—such training to be completed before reporting for duty and to include, at a congressional office's request, a multi-day (nonconsecutive) detail in the Coast Guard Office of Budget and Programs. This section also makes a conforming amendment to the analysis for chapter 3 of title 14.

This section revises authorities related to the National Coast Guard Museum as follows: (1) in subsection (b), qualifies the Secretary's general restriction on use of appropriated funds with an explicit exception under paragraph (2) and expands permissible uses of such funds under that exception to (A) the design of the Museum and (B) engineering, construction administration, and quality assurance services for the Museum (from the engineering and design of the Museum); (2) amends subsection (e)(2)(A) to authorize the Secretary, for purposes of conducting Coast Guard operations, to lease from the Association (i) the Museum and (ii) any property owned by the Association that is adjacent to the railroad tracks adjacent to the Museum property; and (3) revises subsection (g) to authorize the Commandant to solicit and accept services related to the construction, maintenance, and operation of the Museum from nonprofit entities, including the Association, and to enter into contracts or memoranda of agreement to acquire such services.

This section relocates a provision from the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-263) to 14 U.S.C. §529 and expands the Coast Guard Commandant's requirement to publicly release monthly information on interdictions from the number of migrant interdictions to the number of drug and person interdictions. It further specifies that such public information must describe (1) the number of drug interdiction incidents, the amount and type of drugs interdicted, and the Coast Guard sectors and geographic areas involved; and (2) the number of person interdiction incidents, the number of persons interdicted (including unaccompanied minors), and the Coast Guard sectors and geographic areas involved. It clarifies that the Coast Guard is not required to collect this information or publicly release confidential, classified, law enforcement sensitive, or otherwise protected information.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Coast Guard Commandant, to coordinate with foreign governments and intergovernmental organizations to provide cyber prevention and response assistance—such as assessments, audits, inspections, and operations—for marine transportation systems and assets outside the United States connected to the U.S. Marine Transportation System or illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, after coordination with the Secretary of State and with authority to seek reimbursement of costs. The section makes a clerical amendment to the table of contents for chapter 7 of title 14, United States Code.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the NOAA Administrator, other federal agencies, and relevant state, tribal, and local governments, to develop within one year of enactment a location-specific tsunami preparedness plan for each Coast Guard-owned, operated, or leased property located in a tsunami inundation zone. Each plan must (1) minimize loss of life and maximize Coast Guard mission capability; (2) be integrated into unit emergency action plans; (3) designate evacuation routes to areas outside the inundation zone; (4) account for near-shore and distant tsunamis; (5) include inundation maps, evacuation instructions, rapid-response procedures upon detection of a tsunamigenic event (i.e., earthquake, volcanic eruption, or similar), plans for aviation and afloat assets, and foot evacuation routes (or assessments for vertical evacuation refuges if needed); and (6) for near-shore tsunami risks, be executable within 15 minutes of detection (or a reasonable timeframe otherwise). Plans must be exercised, communicated via annual in-person training to personnel and dependents, and evaluated by District Commanders at least annually; the Commandant must brief the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure within 14 months of enactment on plan development, implementation status, and feasibility.

This section directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to include in each quarterly report required under Section 11221(a) of the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-263)—beginning with the first such report submitted after enactment of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025—(1) the status of using recently renovated Coast Guard housing, food preparation, and maintenance and repair facilities on St. Paul Island, Alaska, including a projected date for full use and occupancy in support of Bering Sea missions; and (2) a detailed plan for acquiring and constructing a hangar near existing St. Paul Island airport facilities to support Coast Guard operational missions, including plans for needed land use.

This section amends Section 11223 of the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 (relating to acquisition of the USCGC Storis for scientific missions) as follows: (1) in subsection (d)(2), strikes "retrofitting" from introductory text, inserts it before "maintenance" in subparagraph (A), and replaces "the science party" with "costs described in paragraph (3)"; (2) replaces subsection (d)(4) to require the Commandant to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (i.e., NOAA) allowing use of the vessel for research, science activities, and data collection consistent with subsection (c) purposes, authorize similar fee-free agreements with other federal, state, local, or educational/research entities, and restrict such use to activities consistent with Coast Guard missions (thus, facilitating shared scientific operations without cost to partners); and (3) in subsection (j), changes a cross-reference from "through (c)" to "and (b)".

This section revises the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund (TFF)—a permanent Treasury fund that receives deposits from non-tax-related seizures and forfeitures by Treasury law enforcement organizations and the U.S. Coast Guard to cover associated costs (e.g., investigations, storage, sales, informer awards, liens, equitable sharing with state and local law enforcement)—to fully integrate Coast Guard forfeitures by (1) replacing separate statutory references to "the Department of the Treasury or the United States Coast Guard" with "a Department of the Treasury law enforcement organization"; (2) eliminating the separate Coast Guard forfeiture fund (former subsection (c)) and redesignating subsequent subsections; (3) explicitly including the Coast Guard in the list of entities eligible for reimbursement of property management costs under subsection (a)(2)(B); and (4) making technical corrections and updating cross-references in 28 U.S.C. §524(c), 31 U.S.C. §5340(1), and 39 U.S.C. §2003(e)(1). (Thus, all Coast Guard forfeitures deposit into and draw from the single TFF without fiscal-year limitation.)

This section defines the term “lead systems integrator” in the Coast Guard prohibition on using private sector lead systems integrators (14 U.S.C. 1105) by cross-referencing the definition in section 805(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (P.L. 109-163).

This section adds §§1138–1140 to Subchapter II of 14 U.S.C. chapter 11, governing Coast Guard major acquisitions (i.e., Level 1 programs, typically exceeding $1 billion total cost, and Level 2 programs, $100 million–$1 billion), as follows: (1) exempts service life extension programs—which extend the service life and address obsolescence of components or systems of a Coast Guard capability or asset—from Level 1 and Level 2 acquisition requirements under §§1131–1134; (2) requires the Commandant to consider life-cycle cost estimates for vessels and aircraft during design and evaluation processes to the maximum extent practicable; and (3) requires public announcement of construction, design, and engineering requirements for Level 1 and Level 2 acquisitions and establishes a competitive selection and negotiation process based on firms' qualifications and performance data, including evaluation of at least three firms, selection of the top three, and sequential negotiations for fair and reasonable prices.

This section revises restrictions on Coast Guard vessels with major hull or superstructure components constructed in foreign shipyards (14 U.S.C. 1151) by (1) expanding the prohibition to bar the Commandant from leasing, chartering, or otherwise procuring such vessels (previously limited to construction of vessels or components); and (2) modifying the presidential exception process to authorize exceptions only to address an immediate adverse effect on Coast Guard missions, with the exception ineffective until submission to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of a written explanation confirming insufficient qualified U.S. shipyards and actions taken by the President to enable them to meet requirements (previously, a 30-day congressional notice period following a general national security determination). This section also makes a conforming change to the statutory table of contents for chapter 11 of title 14, United States Code.

This section requires the Coast Guard Commandant to submit to specified congressional committees (1) within 90 days of enactment, a strategy for the design and construction of a Great Lakes icebreaker at least as capable as the Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw (WLBB–30), including a cost estimate and expedited delivery timeline; and (2) within one year of enactment, a report on the strategy for replacing the Bay-class icebreaking tug fleet, including—if replacement of the last tug occurs more than 15 years after enactment—a plan to maintain fleet capabilities until replacement and, if that plan excludes main propulsion engine and marine gear replacement, an assessment of impacts on future operational availability. This section also establishes a five-year pilot program, beginning with the first ice season after enactment, to assess the Coast Guard Great Lakes icebreaking fleet's ability to keep tier one and tier two waterways open 95% of the time during an ice season; requires annual reports to congressional committees on pilot results and new performance measures within 180 days after each such season; modifies a prior public reporting requirement under sec. 11213(f) of the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 (P.L. 117–263) to publish, by July 1 after the first relevant winter, a website report on costs of meeting proposed icebreaking standards; and requires briefings to congressional committees on costs of complying with sexual assault forensic exam procedures under 14 U.S.C. 564—within 30 days of enactment for FY2024 costs, by November 1, 2025, for FY2025 costs, and by November 1, 2026, for FY2026 costs. (As background, 14 U.S.C. 564 requires Coast Guard vessels to maintain written procedures ensuring timely access to sexual assault forensic exams for victims, comparable to emergency medical care, accounting for health, privacy, medical facilities, evidence preservation, and other factors.)

This section authorizes the Coast Guard Commandant to permit an entity other than the Coast Guard to contract for the acquisition, procurement, or construction of (1) Arctic Security Cutters and (2) all other vessels funded under section 40001 of Public Law 119-21, notwithstanding 14 U.S.C. 1105(a).

This section revises Coast Guard family leave policies under 14 U.S.C. 2512 to (1) expand eligibility to members of the reserve component (defined to include selected reserve and certain individual ready reserve members entitled to compensation under 37 U.S.C. 206); (2) broaden covered events from birth or adoption to include placement of a minor child for long-term foster care; (3) require mirroring of new Navy regulations under 10 U.S.C. 704 or Defense Department regulations under 10 U.S.C. 711 for reserves; and (4) authorize the Secretary to permit use of unused leave beyond the one-year period following the qualifying event due to operational requirements, professional military education obligations, or other circumstances deemed reasonable, with such leave required to be taken within a reasonable time thereafter. The section also makes clerical amendments to the section heading, subsection heading, and chapter analysis and amends 37 U.S.C. 206(a)(4) to provide compensation for such family leave.

This section modifies the Coast Guard career flexibility program, which authorizes inactivation from active duty for up to three years to meet personal or professional needs (with service in the Ready Reserve, required training, and a post-inactivation active duty obligation), by (1) reducing the post-inactivation active duty service obligation to 30 days for each month of inactivation (from 2 months); and (2) adding to subsection (h) requirements to preserve during inactivation (3) entitlement to death benefits under 10 U.S.C. ch. 75 subch. II, (4) family travel and transportation allowances upon a member's death under 37 U.S.C. 453(f), (5) eligibility for general benefits under 38 U.S.C. pt. II, and (6) for victims of alleged sex-related offenses, access to Coast Guard behavioral health, sexual assault prevention and response, and legal resources (including special victims' counsel).

This section establishes direct hire authority for the Coast Guard Commandant to appoint qualified candidates to specified competitive service positions without regard to most civil service competitive hiring requirements (i.e., subchapter I of 5 U.S.C. chapter 33, except §§3303 and 3328), and noncompetitive appointment authority for the Secretary to place highly qualified candidates in excepted service faculty positions. The positions eligible under direct hire authority are (1) medical or health professional positions; (2) childcare services positions; (3) Coast Guard housing office positions supervising housing under 14 U.S.C. chapter 29 subchapter III; (4) nonclinical specialist positions for preventing harmful behaviors (i.e., suicide, sexual assault, harassment, domestic abuse, child abuse); (5) special agent positions in the Coast Guard Investigative Service; and (6) at the Coast Guard Academy, civilian faculty positions under 14 U.S.C. §1941 and positions improving cadet health or well-being. Appointments are limited to positions with a shortage of qualified candidates or critical hiring needs, require annual briefings to specified congressional committees through 2030 detailing usage, justifications, separations, and Office of Personnel Management engagement, and sunset on September 30, 2030. This section also makes a conforming clerical amendment to the table of contents for 14 U.S.C. chapter 25.

This section establishes command sponsorship for dependents of Coast Guard members assigned to Unalaska, Alaska, upon the member's request. (Command sponsorship authorizes dependents to accompany the member to a remote duty station and access associated military benefits, such as housing allowances, medical care, and schooling.)

This section authorizes the Coast Guard to provide a cash allowance, in an amount determined by the Secretary, to pregnant officer personnel for the purchase of maternity-related uniform items if such items are not furnished by the Coast Guard.

This section revises the Coast Guard college student pre-commissioning initiative program (Program) to authorize eligible undergraduate students to enlist in the Coast Guard Reserve and receive a commission as a Reserve officer (previously, enlist and receive a guaranteed commission as an officer in the Coast Guard). It modifies eligibility criteria as follows: (1) increases maximum age to 31 years old (from 27), or as otherwise determined by the Commandant; (2) eliminates dependency restrictions; (3) requires enrollment in a college degree program at Hispanic-serving institutions, minority-serving institutions with at least 50% enrollment of specified underrepresented groups, or rural-serving institutions (previously limited to sophomores or juniors at historically Black colleges and universities or minority-serving institutions), without regard to academic year; and (4) adds requirements to attend an institution within 100 miles of a Coast Guard unit or recruiting office (unless approved by the Commandant), meet credit and grade point average standards set by the Commandant, and satisfy other medical and administrative standards set by the Commandant. The section further establishes a financial assistance program for participating enlisted Coast Guard Reserve members on active duty, covering tuition and fees, books, laboratory expenses (for baccalaureate programs), and other expenses up to $25,000 per academic year, for up to 5 consecutive academic years toward a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree. To receive assistance, participants must enter a written agreement to complete the degree program, required training and monthly activities, accept a Reserve commission upon graduation, and serve at least 3 years of active duty (calculated as 3 months per month of assistance for the first 12 months and 1 month per month thereafter, or 3 years if greater, in addition to other service obligations). (Thus, the Program expands recruitment from underrepresented and rural institutions, provides tuition assistance to incentivize Reserve officer production, and imposes service obligations to recoup costs.)

This section establishes a five-year pilot program, the Coast Guard Embedded Behavioral Health Technician Program (terminating September 30, 2029), requiring the Commandant to select three or more clinics supporting high-operational-tempo units and assign trained E-5 or higher Coast Guard health services technicians or equivalent civilian behavioral health specialists to provide on-site psychological assessments, behavioral health services, education, training, and expedited referrals under licensed provider supervision. (As background, 14 U.S.C. §504 authorizes the Commandant to conduct training and health-related activities for Coast Guard personnel.) The Commandant must brief Senate and House committees on the implementation plan within 120 days of enactment, submit a data collection plan within 270 days, establish the program within 270 days, and submit annual reports to the committees by September 1 each year through 2029 on implementation metrics (e.g., members served, feedback, readiness, costs), lessons learned, data analysis, and expansion feasibility. This section further requires the Commandant to hire, train, and deploy not fewer than [number not specified in provided text] behavioral health specialists within 180 days of enactment.

This section establishes a policy requiring the Coast Guard Commandant to reimburse eligible members assigned to duty in Alaska for airfare costs to travel at the member's request to a location in the United States or its territories, from the date of enactment through the later of December 31, 2029, or the termination date of assignment incentive pay authority under 37 U.S.C. §352(g). Eligible members must receive authorization from an officer above O-5 in their chain of command, with such time absent from duty treated as leave under 10 U.S.C. §704 (governing accrual and use of paid leave for armed forces members); the Commandant may not deny reimbursement for authorized travel and, for destinations other than the member's home of record or state of legal residence, may require justification but may not unreasonably deny the request. Not later than February 1, 2027, the Commandant must brief specified congressional committees on the reimbursements' use and effectiveness, Alaska cost-of-living allowances, and incentives such as special pays for cold weather proficiency or duty assignments.

This section establishes a Tuition Assistance and Advanced Education Assistance Pilot Program for Sea Duty for active-duty Coast Guard members, to be implemented by the Commandant within 120 days of enactment. Under the program, participants who successfully complete a sea duty tour enter an agreement providing for (1) a one-year reduction in the service obligation incurred under the advanced education assistance program (10 U.S.C. 2005) or tuition assistance program (10 U.S.C. 2007), and (2) an increase in the tuition assistance cost cap to not more than double the standard cap set by the Commandant for the applicable fiscal year, for a period equal to the sea duty tour length beginning upon tour completion. This section requires the Commandant to submit annual reports, beginning one year after establishment and continuing until program termination, to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The reports must evaluate and compare Coast Guard retention, recruitment, and sea duty billet filling for participants versus non-participants; provide participant numbers disaggregated by officer and enlisted billets; and assess participants' progress in voluntary education programs. The pilot program terminates six years after establishment.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to (1) identify remote locations—including, at a minimum, Coast Guard fire stations where members and dependents are eligible for TRICARE Prime Remote—for a new incentive program; (2) establish the program to provide recruitment and relocation bonuses consistent with the federal recruitment, relocation, and retention incentives statute (5 U.S.C. 5753) and retention bonuses consistent with 5 U.S.C. 5754 for civilian firefighters at those locations, with eligibility criteria developed in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management director that require a determination of recruitment, retention, or relocation needs; and (3) submit annual reports for five years to the Senate Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure detailing the program's use and effectiveness, participant numbers, incentive distribution, and impact on recruitment and retention.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to notify the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives no later than 10 days before the end of each fiscal year or, for a continuing resolution providing appropriated funds for more than 10 days in lieu of an appropriations act, the end of that period. The notification must include (1) the status of Coast Guard funding for the subsequent fiscal year or at the end of the continuing resolution if other appropriations are not enacted; (2) the Coast Guard's status as a component of the Armed Forces; (3) the number of members serving overseas or supporting Title 10, United States Code, missions; (4) the unique service requirements of Armed Forces members, who must continue serving even if unpaid unlike other federal employees; (5) the impacts of historical federal government shutdowns on Coast Guard members; and (6) other relevant matters, as determined by the Commandant.

This section revises the Board of Visitors to the Coast Guard Academy, which reviews and makes recommendations on Academy operations including morale and discipline, recruitment and retention, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, and fiscal affairs. Specifically, the section (1) requires the Commandant to establish the board; (2) increases total membership to 19 (from 15) by adding two Senators appointed by the Vice President from the Senate Appropriations Committee and two House members appointed by the Speaker from the House Appropriations Committee; (3) establishes appointment deadlines of 180 days after each Congress's first session convenes, with fallback service by chairs and ranking members of relevant subcommittees if vacancies persist until the second session adjourns sine die; (4) requires biennial selection of a congressional chairperson from board members, alternating between Senate and House with no consecutive terms; (5) revises visit procedures to require Commandant invitations for annual visits by members or designees, ensures board access to Academy grounds, facilities, cadets, faculty, staff, and personnel, and authorizes additional visits or consultations with Secretary approval; and (6) adds requirements for annual meetings at Commandant-selected locations and an initial organizational meeting to select a chairperson and adopt a charter.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and not later than 30 days after enactment, to conduct a study on the governance of the Coast Guard Academy, including the roles, responsibilities, authorities, advisory functions, and membership qualifications and expertise of the Board of Visitors (established under 14 U.S.C. 1903) and the Board of Trustees (established under the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Board of Trustees Charter). The study must examine (1) Coast Guard and departmental oversight authorities, including impacts on Academy accreditation; (2) roles and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees and Board of Visitors; (3) Coast Guard roles in managing and facilitating those boards; (4) their advisory functions; and (5) their memberships over the preceding 10 years, including expertise, objectiveness, and effectiveness in oversight. Not later than one year after enactment, the Commandant must submit a report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure containing the study's results and recommendations to improve governance at the Academy.

This section requires the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, in consultation with the Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy, to install electronic locking mechanisms on all cadet residence rooms not later than two years after enactment; test the mechanisms semiannually; and implement an access-recording system that logs the date, time, and identity of each entrant via electronic means, with records retained for at least five years (or per general records schedule, if longer). The mechanisms must restrict access to assigned cadets and necessary personnel (e.g., for emergencies); requires maintenance of existing mechanisms in academic buildings, Chase Hall common spaces, and similar areas within 30 days of enactment; directs the Superintendent to promulgate a cadet room security policy within one year covering prohibitions on sharing access credentials, reset procedures, privacy protections, malfunction reporting, and testing schedules; and mandates initial training for cadets on the mechanisms and policy within one day of arrival (plus additional training as needed).

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to submit to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, not later than 120 days after enactment, a report on existing behavioral health and wellness support services facilities at the Coast Guard Academy available to cadets and officer candidates, including via telemedicine. The report must include (1) an identification of each Academy building containing dormitories or other overnight accommodations for cadets or officer candidates; and (2) (A) an identification of additional beneficial behavioral health or wellness support services, such as facilities with secure telemedicine access; (B) a description of the benefits of such services, particularly for cadets and officer candidates who have experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment; and (C) a description of the resources necessary to provide such services.

This section requires the Commandant of the Coast Guard to ensure that written information is posted visibly in each Coast Guard Academy building containing cadet or officer candidate dormitories or overnight accommodations. The information must cover (1) methods to report crimes, including harassment, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other offenses; (2) Coast Guard Investigative Service contact information; (3) external resources for wellness support, work-life balance, medical services, and behavioral health, civil rights, sexual assault, and sexual harassment support; and (4) cadet and officer candidate rights in reporting incidents to the Coast Guard Investigative Service, civilian authorities, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and other applicable entities.

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to install or construct at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, not later than two years after enactment, at least two multipurpose medical privacy rooms for cadets and officer candidates seeking medical or health-related services. Each room must (1) ensure privacy consistent with law and policy and be equipped with a telephone, computer for telehealth or other virtual and in-person services, and accessible private wireless internet for personal devices at the user's discretion; (2) to the extent practicable and consistent with good order and discipline, be accessible at all times; and (3) contain and visibly post the written information required by section 265.

This section authorizes cadets at the Coast Guard Academy to request room reassignment if experiencing discomfort due to rooming assignments, consistent with Academy policy. (Thus, this provision—added to the Coast Guard's required policy on sexual harassment and sexual violence—provides an additional support mechanism for affected cadets.)

This section establishes authority for the Secretary of Homeland Security, with the concurrence of the Coast Guard Academy Superintendent, to permit covered foundations—501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations determined by the Secretary to exclusively support Coast Guard Academy recruiting, parent or alumni development, cadet academic/leadership/character development, institutional development, or athletics—to use Academy facilities or equipment on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis. The authority is subject to limitations prohibiting uses that jeopardize Coast Guard members' or cadets' health, safety, or well-being; impose U.S. liability; affect official impartiality or program integrity; involve cadets except in honor guards; or fail to comply with ethics rules following Coast Guard attorney review. The section further requires the Secretary to issue implementing policies and directs the Commandant to brief the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure by the end of any fiscal year in which the authority is used on the number of supported foundation events or activities. The section also makes a clerical amendment to the table of contents for chapter 19 of title 14, United States Code.

This section authorizes the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to establish concurrent jurisdiction between the federal government and the State of Connecticut over lands constituting the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. (Thus, this facilitates investigations and prosecutions by the State of Connecticut and City of New London of crimes under Connecticut law committed on academy property.)

This section directs the Coast Guard Commandant to update, not later than one year after enactment, the service's policy on medications to treat drug overdoses to require availability of naloxone or similar medication on all Coast Guard installations and in each operational environment (with a rule of construction deeming it available installation-wide if accessible at one facility). It further requires the Commandant, not later than one year after enactment or establishment of the overdose tracking system under section 706 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (10 U.S.C. 1090 note)—whichever is earlier—to ensure Coast Guard participation in that system; directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy) and Secretary of Defense, on the same timeline, to finalize a memorandum of understanding facilitating such access; and requires the Commandant to provide Congress, not later than two years after enactment, a briefing on implementation progress, fentanyl prevalence and mitigation processes over the prior five years, memorandum status, and naloxone usage instances at facilities, on assets, or during operations (while ensuring Privacy Act and HIPAA compliance). (As background, 10 U.S.C. 1090 requires the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to regulate identification, treatment, and rehabilitation of armed forces members dependent on drugs or alcohol.)

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Defense, to develop within one year of enactment a policy—consistent with the Constitution, domestic law, and international law—to address, disincentivize, and interdict maritime trafficking of controlled substances and precursors used to produce illicit synthetic drugs. The policy must (1) require seizure or appropriate disposal of such vessels to the maximum extent practicable consistent with law and international agreements and (2) aim to reduce global incentives for such trafficking, including in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Indo-Pacific region, Caribbean, and Middle East; the Commandant must brief specified Senate and House committees on the policy and recommendations for additional methods and resources within one year of enactment.

This section directs the Coast Guard Commandant to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (1) a report within 270 days of enactment on the condition of dayboards (i.e., unlighted daytime navigation markers) and buoys on the Missouri River, Coast Guard Northeast District, and Coast Guard Northwest District—including service dates, systematic servicing plans, and points of contact; and (2) within 18 months of enactment, the results of a study assessing mariner reliance on physical aids to navigation in those areas—including analyses of use by non-electronic vessels, backup roles during electronic outages, mariner input, incident summaries from the past five years, safety recommendations, and a cost-benefit analysis of maintenance versus removal (e.g., projected increases in accidents, search-and-rescue costs, and environmental incidents). It further prohibits removal of such aids to navigation beginning on the date of enactment—unless posing an imminent threat to life or safety—until 180 days after submission of the report under (1).

This section directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to complete not later than 180 days after enactment a feasibility study on supporting additional Coast Guard port visits and deployments—including homeporting fast response cutters—in the Northern Mariana Islands in support of Operation Blue Pacific, or any successor operation oriented toward Oceania. The study must analyze the origins of any transferred Coast Guard assets and resulting coverage gaps. The Secretary must submit a report on the study's findings to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to commence, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment, a study and gap analysis of the aviation hangar at Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi regarding its capacity to accommodate currently assigned aircraft, an additional HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft, and future assignments including the transition from MH-65 to MH-60T rotary-wing aircraft. The study must (1) identify infrastructure requirements to meet mission needs; (2) assess sufficiency for rotary-wing assets and required modifications if insufficient; (3) evaluate fixed-wing enclosure needs to mitigate corrosion; (4) assess impacts of outdoor storage on fixed-wing material condition and safety and potential mitigations (e.g., gust locks, chocks, tie-downs); and (5) consider overall hangar modifications post-transition. The Commandant must submit a report on the results to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure not later than one year after commencing the study.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in coordination with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, to submit to the appropriate congressional committees—not later than 180 days after the date of enactment—a report analyzing the impacts of the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR; i.e., terms, rates, conditions, and regulations for official uniformed services travel under 37 U.S.C. §464) on Coast Guard members commuting, conducting permanent change of station travel, or performing other official travel to or from ferry-served locations. The report must assess (1) the one-vehicle shipping policy, (2) unavailability of reimbursement for costs from ferry schedule unavailability, sailing cancellations, or delays, and (3) unavailability of local infrastructure for vehicles or goods shipped to non-contiguous duty stations lacking road connections (e.g., those served by the Alaska Marine Highway System). "Appropriate congressional committees" are defined as the Senate Committees on Armed Services and Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and the House Committee on Armed Services and Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to submit to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, not later than one year after the date of enactment, a report on the Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program. The report must include (1) the standards and criteria for educational institution participation; (2) for each participating institution, descriptions of training, facilities, and resources provided by the Coast Guard and the institution, an assessment of whether it is in an educationally and economically deprived area, student participation numbers and demographics since program establishment, and participant assessments including performance and intent to pursue Coast Guard service; (3) details on any units suspended or placed on probation under 10 U.S.C. §2031(h), including reasons, years, and reinstatement justifications; (4) resources and personnel required for program maintenance, implementation, and oversight, including per-institution funding by year; (5) recommendations on increasing participating institutions, including proposed numbers, locations, authorities, and resources if applicable; and (6) any other matters for assessing program effectiveness. (As background, the JROTC program, authorized under 10 U.S.C. §2031, establishes units at qualifying secondary educational institutions to instill values of citizenship, service, and personal responsibility in students.)

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to brief the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on the costs of implementing sexual assault forensic exam procedures on Coast Guard vessels (14 U.S.C. 564)—which require vessels to maintain written procedures ensuring victims' prompt access to such exams, prioritizing victim health, privacy, evidence preservation, and coordination with medical and law enforcement resources—(1) for FY2024, not later than 30 days after enactment of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025; (2) for FY2025, not later than November 1, 2025; and (3) for FY2026, not later than November 1, 2026.

This section directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to submit a report within 180 days of enactment on the Coast Guard's expected role in assisting the military departments over the next 5, 10, and 20 years in (1) working with navies and coast guards of Indo-Pacific nations to build capacity protecting territorial waters from foreign incursions; (2) providing a presence in the Arctic and Antarctic to protect U.S. national security interests; and (3) providing law enforcement capabilities lacking in the military departments for national security, piracy, alien and drug interdiction, and high seas fishery enforcement.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, not later than 180 days after enactment, a report that includes the following: (1) an analysis of Coast Guard personnel skills and experience—particularly in engineering, navigation, heavy equipment operation, and maintenance—that are transferable to the dredging industry; (2) a plan for targeted outreach and recruitment strategies to connect separating or retiring Coast Guard personnel with dredging employment opportunities, including registered apprenticeship programs; (3) an evaluation of the potential for programs recognizing Coast Guard skills toward merchant mariner credentials required for dredging employment; and (4) a description of existing or planned coordination with the Corps of Engineers, employers, relevant labor organizations, and other agencies to facilitate such personnel transitions.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, not later than one year after enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, a report detailing search and rescue operations at impacted Coast Guard facilities. The report must include (1) the number of such facilities, active scheduled mission stations, and active search and rescue personnel at each; (2) search and rescue personnel, average response times, lives lost, vessel safety checks, and ice rescue missions at each facility since 2021 (reported annually); (3) descriptions of cooperative agreements with local first responders; (4) details on incidents responded to in areas previously covered by impacted facilities but unfulfilled due to limitations—including distance and duration traveled, outcomes, and reliance on local authorities; (5) areas of responsibility for each facility; and (6) other relevant metrics. Impacted Coast Guard facilities are those designated as scheduled mission stations or closed under the Assignment Year 2024 Force Alignment Initiative or Assignment Year 2025 Force Alignment Initiative.

This section directs the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard to submit a report to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act. The report must (1) examine alternative sites on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, for Coast Guard Station St. Thomas; (2) analyze geographic threats and opportunities on St. Thomas to Coast Guard mission objectives; and (3) provide a cost estimate for acquiring an alternative site meeting station mission needs, including land acquisition, pier and shoreside facility construction, relocation of the existing facility, personnel, and equipment (with environmental remediation), and positive and negative impacts on mission readiness.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, a report on the navigable waterway of the East Rockaway Inlet on Long Island, New York. The report must include (1) an evaluation of potential hazards to navigation, (2) a map of current and future aids to navigation, (3) an evaluation of the effects of current channel hazards on commercial navigation and safety, (4) recommendations on addressing hazards to navigation, and (5) recommendations on updates to aids to navigation necessary to maintain safety.

This section amends section 3534 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118-31) to revise merchant mariner credentialing requirements under title 46, United States Code. Specifically, the section (1) adds definitions to 46 U.S.C. 2101 for "merchant mariner credential" (i.e., a license, certificate, or document issued by the Secretary pursuant to title 46) and "nautical school program" (i.e., an approved comprehensive training program with substantial sea service on nautical school vessels or U.S. merchant vessels, for purposes of 46 U.S.C. 7315); (2) extends eligibility for merchant mariners' documents (46 U.S.C. 7102, 7304), manning requirements (46 U.S.C. 8103), command of documented vessels (46 U.S.C. 12131(a)), and related documentation (46 U.S.C. 12135(2)) from U.S. citizens to include noncitizen nationals (i.e., individuals described in 8 U.S.C. 1408, such as those born in American Samoa); (3) in 46 U.S.C. 8103(k)(2), establishes through December 31, 2065, a limit of not more than 50% of unlicensed seamen on certain vessels to be aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence or under specified visas (thus, expanding the prior limit in subparagraph (A) for such positions on fishing, fish processing, or fish tender vessels); (4) strikes subsection (c) of 46 U.S.C. 7116 (examinations); and (5) revises 46 U.S.C. 7306 to specify classes of merchant mariner credentials for deck department members, including Able Seaman-Unlimited, Able Seaman-Limited, Able Seaman-Special, Able Seaman-Offshore Supply Vessels, Able Seaman-Sail, Able Seaman-Fishing Industry, and Ordinary Seaman. The section also makes conforming changes to chapter headings and tables of contents for chapters 71, 73, and 81 of title 46.

This section establishes criminal penalties for grossly negligent operation of a vessel as follows: (1) a class A misdemeanor if the operation endangers the life, limb, or property of a person; and (2) a class E felony, plus a civil penalty of not more than $35,000, if the operation results in serious bodily injury (as defined in 18 U.S.C. 1365(h)(3)).

This section amends examination requirements for foreign tank vessels under 46 U.S.C. §3714 to authorize, subject to specified conditions, a performance-driven examination schedule based on the Secretary's assessment of each vessel's safety performance, including factors such as compliance history, violations, detentions, casualties, flag state data, owner/operator history, classification society data, port state control exams, and repair/maintenance records (with additional optional considerations such as QUALSHIP 21 program data). Vessels are ineligible for the schedule if detained by the Coast Guard, subject to a proved violation against owners/operators, or involved in a relevant marine casualty within the prior 36 months; the schedule may not be adopted until the Secretary completes a statutorily required safety assessment (as recommended in a Government Accountability Office report under section 8254(a) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021) confirming equivalent safety to annual examinations and notifies specified congressional committees. The section further amends special duty pay authority under section 11237(a) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (37 U.S.C. §352 note)—previously available to address marine inspector shortages—to explicitly include Coast Guard members in prevention positions serving as marine inspectors under 14 U.S.C. §312 (i.e., billet-specific pay for those with requisite experience/certifications in hard-to-fill locations). Finally, the section requires the Commandant to brief specified congressional committees not later than 6 months after enactment, and annually for 2 years after program implementation, on program status (including examination quantities and intervals per vessel), marine inspector workforce size/shortages, and related recommendations.

This section revises the fishing vessel safety training grant program (46 U.S.C. 4502(i)) and the commercial fishing worksite safety training grant program (46 U.S.C. 4502(j))—which provide grants to eligible organizations for safety instruction to fishing vessel operators, crewmembers, and commercial fishing industry members—by (1) expanding training topics to address behavioral and physical health risks, including substance use disorder and worker fatigue; (2) requiring grants to be awarded on a competitive basis using criteria developed in consultation with the Coast Guard Commandant (previously awarded competitively based on criteria established by the Commandant); and (3) authorizing $6 million annually for FY2025 through FY2029 to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (from $3 million for FY2023).

This section requires a registered pilot to direct navigation of certain vessels in the Straits of Mackinac—defined as U.S. navigable waters bounded by longitudes 84°20' west and 85°10' west and latitudes 45°39' north and 45°54' north, including Gray’s Reef Passage, the South Channel, Round Island Passage, and approaches thereto—and all other waters of the Great Lakes designated by the President (previously, only in designated waters). (Thus, in these areas, the pilot directs navigation subject to the master’s authority, enhancing safety on this hazardous passage connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.)

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to conduct a study on the applicability of current safety regulations to commercial amphibious vessels and to submit a report with findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation not later than one year after the date of enactment. The study must include (1) an overview and analysis of applicable safety regulations; (2) an evaluation of safety gaps and risks; (3) an evaluation of whether aspects of regulations under section 11502 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (46 U.S.C. 3306 note)—which address DUKW amphibious passenger vessels—should apply to such vessels; and (4) recommendations on potential regulations. The section defines an amphibious vessel as a small passenger vessel operating in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction (per 33 C.F.R. § 2.38 or successor regulation) that also operates as a motor vehicle under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7550) and that is not a DUKW amphibious passenger vessel (as defined in such NDAA section).

This section revises a reference in section 3529(a)(3) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (P.L. 115-232) from that Act to the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025.

This section revises Coast Guard ports and waterways safety authorities, including by (1) authorizing a pilot program under section 8343 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (previously described as a two-year pilot program) for FY2025 through FY2029; (2) expanding waterfront safety and security zones under 46 U.S.C. §70011(a) to address damage or harm from cyber incidents, transnational organized crime, or foreign state threats; (3) prohibiting under §70011(b), as amended, a representative of a government designated by the Secretary of State as a state sponsor of terrorism under section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. §2371)—i.e., a country that has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism—from visiting a facility requiring a facility security plan; (4) revising 46 U.S.C. §70032 to limit delegation of specified ports and waterways authorities in the Saint Lawrence Seaway to the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, with exceptions for certain Coast Guard enforcement actions; (5) expanding authority under §70051 to regulate anchorage and movement of vessels during cyber incidents, transnational organized crime, or foreign state threats; (6) directing the Coast Guard, not later than two years after enactment, to issue or amend regulations on vessel traffic services cooperation and data exchanges with the Canadian Coast Guard in the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway; and (7) making a clerical amendment to the chapter analysis for chapter 700 of title 46, United States Code.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard, not later than 90 days after enactment, to seek an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—through its Marine Board of the Transportation Research Board—for a study analyzing (1) commercial vessel traffic through the Bering Strait and projections for growth over the subsequent 10-year period, including vessel sizes, ages, flag states, and oil/product tankers in transit to or from Russia or China or owned/operated by Russian or Chinese entities; and (2) the adequacy of emergency response capabilities and infrastructure at the Port of Point Spencer, Alaska, including its viability as a port of refuge and staging center for Arctic maritime operations. The study must also assess vessel traffic services, oil spill response, and accident risks to the Arctic environment and nearby Native Alaskan communities in the Bering Strait vicinity; evaluate the port's role in emergency/spill response; and recommend actions for Congress, federal agencies, Alaska, vessel operators, and others to mitigate risks and enhance infrastructure. The Board must consult specified entities (e.g., Department of Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Canada) and submit a report with findings and recommendations to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation within one year of initiating the study. This section defines relevant terms, including "Arctic" (per 15 U.S.C. 4111).

This section directs the Coast Guard to implement, not later than one year after enactment, the November 2021 proposed plan of the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Los Angeles-Long Beach for restructuring federal anchorages in San Pedro Bay, as described in the National Transportation Safety Board's January 2, 2024, report on a pipeline anchor strike and crude oil release. The section further requires the Coast Guard to (1) conduct a study identifying any other federal anchorage grounds where the distance between the anchorage center and a pipeline is less than 1 mile; and (2) submit a report to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, not later than two years after enactment, listing such anchorages, assessing the feasibility of relocating them to ensure at least a 1-mile distance, and providing recommendations with explanations. The section additionally requires the Coast Guard to (1) consult with vessel monitoring system providers to equip VTS systems with audible and visual alarms alerting watchstanders to anchored vessels encroaching on pipelines; (2) develop, not later than one year after enactment, procedures for all VTS areas to notify pipeline and utility operators of potential incursions on submerged pipelines; and (3) submit implementation reports to the specified congressional committees not later than one year after enactment and annually for the subsequent three years. (VTS provides real-time vessel surveillance and navigational advisories in congested U.S. ports and waterways to prevent collisions, groundings, and environmental incidents such as pipeline strikes.)

This section revises the prohibitions on controlled substances onboard vessels in 46 U.S.C. § 70503(a) by (1) striking the introductory requirement that an individual be “on board a covered vessel,” (2) amending paragraph (1) to prohibit manufacturing or distributing a controlled substance, possessing with intent to manufacture or distribute, or placing or causing placement on board a covered vessel with intent to manufacture or distribute, (3) inserting “on board a covered vessel” into paragraph (2), and (4) inserting “while on board a covered vessel” into paragraph (3). (Thus, certain prohibited acts under paragraph (1)—such as placing controlled substances on board—may now occur off the vessel.)

This section authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct no-notice exercises in Captain of the Port Zones (as defined in 33 C.F.R. part 3) involving a facility or vessel required to maintain a security plan under 46 U.S.C. 70103(c). (Thus, such exercises may test compliance and readiness for security threats, including cyber incidents.)

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, to examine navigational protocols used by foreign allied nations for port and vessel operations in fog and low-visibility conditions, including their use of advanced navigation technologies such as remote sensing, radar, tracking, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

This section suspends the establishment of new anchorage grounds (i.e., designated areas for vessel anchoring) on the Hudson River between Palisades, New York, and Germantown, New York. The section further requires the boundary points for the Port of New York existing prior to the issuance of Coast Guard Marine Safety Information Bulletin 2023-001 to remain in place for 20 years.

This section establishes a National Advisory Committee on Autonomous Maritime Systems (i.e., uncrewed vehicles, drones, and autonomous or semi-autonomous maritime systems) in chapter 151 of title 46, United States Code, to advise the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating on the regulation and use of such systems in U.S. territorial waters. The committee comprises 15 members appointed by the Secretary with expertise in relevant matters and required representation from at least one member each of marine safety or security entities, vessel design and construction entities, uncrewed vehicle producers or researchers, port districts or operators, vessel operators, merchant mariner unions, maritime pilots, commercial space transportation operators, academic institutions, and longshore worker unions; the Secretary must establish the committee within 90 days of enactment.

This section establishes a two-year pilot program, from enactment through two years thereafter, exempting small uncrewed maritime systems owned, operated, or chartered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—or performing specified oceanographic surveys for NOAA pursuant to contract—from vessel inspection, design, operations, navigation (except chapter 551 of title 46, U.S. Code), credentialing, or training requirements if NOAA's Assistant Administrator for Marine and Aviation Operations determines such requirements would harm real-time operational extreme weather oceanographic and atmospheric data collection and predictions. The section preserves the Coast Guard Commandant's authority to address immediate safety or security concerns regarding such systems. It defines small uncrewed maritime systems as unmanned maritime systems (as defined in 33 U.S.C. 4101) that are no greater than 35 feet in length overall, operated remotely or autonomously, and used exclusively for oceanographic surveys or scientific research; it also defines uncrewed system to include uncrewed surface, undersea, or aircraft systems and associated elements (including unmanned aircraft systems as defined in 49 U.S.C. 44801).

This section requires the Coast Guard Commandant, or designee, to develop a training course on small uncrewed maritime systems and offer it at least once each year, for three years following enactment, to Coast Guard personnel working with or regulating such systems. The course must cover (1) an overview and examples of such systems used by the federal government, academia, and commercial sectors; (2) benefits and disadvantages of their use; (3) safe navigation, including collision avoidance; (4) communication and alerting of nearby vessels; (5) response to alarms and failures; (6) present and future capabilities; and (7) the International Maritime Organization's governance role. It defines small uncrewed maritime systems as unmanned maritime systems (as defined in 33 U.S.C. 4101) no greater than 35 feet in length that operate remotely or autonomously and perform exclusively oceanographic surveys or scientific research; it further defines uncrewed system to include uncrewed surface, undersea, or aircraft systems and associated elements, including unmanned aircraft systems (as defined in 49 U.S.C. 44801).

This section directs the Coast Guard Commandant, with concurrence from the Assistant Administrator of NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, to establish permanent membership for a NOAA employee on the Coast Guard's Automated and Autonomous Vessel Policy Council not later than 30 days after enactment.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to submit to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, not later than one year after enactment, a report outlining a plan to establish an uncrewed systems capabilities office responsible for acquiring and developing uncrewed system (i.e., uncrewed surface, undersea, or aircraft systems) and counter-uncrewed system (i.e., systems to disable, disrupt, or seize control of uncrewed systems) technologies to expand Coast Guard capabilities. The report must include (1) a management strategy for acquisition, development, and deployment of such technologies; (2) a service-wide coordination strategy to support the Coast Guard's primary statutory duties—such as enforcing federal laws on the high seas, promoting safety of life and property, operating aids to navigation and icebreaking facilities, conducting oceanographic research, and maintaining defense readiness (per 14 U.S.C. 102)—and to expand research, development, testing, evaluation, and funding; (3) identification of needed contracting and acquisition authorities; (4) a list of useful commercially available technologies; (5) a cross-agency collaboration plan with the Department of Defense and others; (6) opportunities to obtain and share uncrewed system data for maritime domain awareness; and (7) a concept of operations for an integrating data system with enablers such as communications networks, data storage, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and information sharing.

This section directs the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, not later than 180 days after enactment, to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding National Security Cutters' medium unmanned aircraft systems capabilities to Medium Endurance Cutters and Offshore Patrol Cutters. Not later than one year after enactment, the Commandant must submit a report on the study's results—including feasibility of equipping those cutters, strengthened mission capabilities, and projected procurement and operational costs—to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to the House and Senate Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure the first of multiple reports on the Coast Guard's acquisition and use of unmanned systems, due not later than 18 months after enactment of this Act, with subsequent reports thereafter. The reports must include (1) an inventory of the Coast Guard's current unmanned systems and their deployment on missions and assets; (2) the cost, schedule, and performance status of unmanned systems acquisition programs; (3) the extent to which the Coast Guard has assessed how such systems support its primary duties under 14 U.S.C. §102 (i.e., enforcing federal laws on the high seas and U.S. waters; maritime air surveillance and interdiction; promoting safety of life and property; developing aids to navigation, icebreaking, and rescue facilities; maintaining icebreaking facilities pursuant to international agreements; oceanographic research; and readiness to assist in U.S. defense); (4) an evaluation of the Coast Guard's acquisition strategy for unmanned systems, including assessments of benefits and costs of commercially available systems and autonomous capabilities; (5) an evaluation of progress and effectiveness in establishing an unmanned systems capabilities office to support acquisition, development, service-wide coordination, research and testing, and cross-agency collaboration with the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense and other agencies; and (6) recommendations to improve the Coast Guard's ability to evaluate, acquire, and deploy such systems. In developing the reports, the Comptroller General may consult with the maritime and aviation industries, relevant federal agencies, federally funded research institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and unmanned systems manufacturers.

This section directs the Coast Guard Commandant, not later than 60 days after enactment, to seek an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for an assessment of available unmanned, autonomous, or remotely-controlled maritime domain awareness technologies. The assessment must (1) describe benefits and limitations of such systems for ocean observation, vessel monitoring and identification, weather observation, search and rescue, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance (to the extent practicable), and communications; (2) evaluate investment prioritization factors including affordability (acquisition, operations, maintenance, and lifecycle costs), reliability, versatility, efficiency, estimated service life, and persistence; (3) analyze potential for lower costs and manpower needs, expanded maritime domain awareness scope and range, and more efficient resource allocation; (4) evaluate progress from research and development to operations since the Academy's 2020 study "Leveraging Unmanned Systems for Coast Guard Missions"; and (5) identify needed changes to Coast Guard authorities, policies, procedures, and protocols. Not later than one year after entering the arrangement, the Academy must submit the assessment to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

This section directs the Coast Guard Commandant to ensure that any unmanned aircraft system procured by the Coast Guard supports the service's primary duties pursuant to 14 U.S.C. § 102 (i.e., maritime security, safety, and stewardship missions such as drug interdiction and protection of U.S. waters).

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard, upon request by any state, the District of Columbia, any Indian tribe, or any U.S. territory, to provide all data possessed by the Coast Guard on water quality characteristics and biological organism concentrations in challenge water (i.e., test water with elevated organisms simulating demanding conditions) and post-treatment water for ballast water management systems holding a type-approval certificate under 46 CFR subpart 162.060. (As background, such systems treat vessel ballast water to kill organisms and prevent invasive species introduction into U.S. waters.) It also makes a corresponding clerical amendment to the table of contents for the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018.

This section clarifies and reallocates regulatory authorities under the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 for licensing deepwater ports (i.e., fixed or floating offshore facilities for importing or exporting oil or natural gas located beyond the state seaward boundary). Specifically, it (1) amends section 5(a) (33 U.S.C. 1504(a)) to affirm the Secretary of Transportation's authority to issue regulations notwithstanding limitations in section 888(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 468(b)); (2) amends section 5(f) to designate the Maritime Administration as the federal lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for all deepwater port applications, with such compliance satisfying NEPA requirements; (3) directs the Coast Guard Commandant to transfer, not later than 18 months after enactment, most authorities in 33 C.F.R. part 148 to the Secretary of Transportation (retaining Coast Guard authority over deepwater port design, construction, equipment, operation, and navigational safety), with the Secretary of Transportation required to issue conforming regulations as soon as practicable; (4) states that nothing in the section limits other agencies' preexisting authorities; and (5) provides that the amendments do not apply to applications submitted before enactment.

This section amends passenger vessel security and safety requirements (46 U.S.C. §3507) as follows: (1) requires vessel owners or operators to maintain supplies to prevent sexually transmitted diseases following a sexual assault in quantities taking into consideration voyage length and the number of passengers and crewmembers the vessel can accommodate; and (2) requires electronic recording of the date, time, and identity of each crewmember accessing a passenger stateroom, and annual review and updates as necessary to related procedures and restrictions.

This section extends the suspension of Coast Guard enforcement of regulations requiring the use of devices broadcasting on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to mark fishing gear until December 31, 2029 (from December 31, 2026).

This section revises the criteria in 46 U.S.C. §3316(d) for the Secretary of Homeland Security to delegate vessel inspection authority to foreign classification societies (i.e., organizations that establish technical standards for the construction and operation of commercial vessels) and prohibits any such delegation to a classification society from the People's Republic of China. Specifically, it (1) amends paragraph (2)(B)(i) to require that the government of the foreign society's home country either delegates that authority to the American Bureau of Shipping or does not delegate it to any classification society; and (2) adds paragraph (5) to clarify that nothing in the subsection authorizes delegation to a Chinese classification society.

This section expands 46 U.S.C. ch. 47—from abandoned barges to all vessels—by revising the chapter heading to "Vessels" (from "Barges"), designating existing provisions as subchapter I ("Barges"), and adding subchapter II ("Non-Barge Vessels") that (1) defines terms including "abandon" (i.e., to moor, strand, wreck, sink, or leave a covered vessel unattended for longer than 45 days) and "covered vessel" (i.e., any non-barge vessel); (2) prohibits owners or operators from abandoning covered vessels on U.S. navigable waters, authorizes civil penalties up to $500 with in rem liability (absent major extenuating circumstances such as long-term medical incapacitation of the owner or operator), and excludes vessels in approved moorings, on private property with permission, or where abandonment is not in the public interest; and (3) directs the Coast Guard Commandant, in consultation with NOAA and relevant state agencies, to establish and publicly post online a national inventory of abandoned covered vessels within one year of enactment of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, including a reporting process for states, Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7517, including the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Office of Hawaiian Affairs), or persons. The section further directs the Homeland Security Secretary, in consultation with the Army Secretary (Chief of Engineers) and Commerce Secretary (NOAA), to issue regulations on abandonment determination procedures and makes conforming amendments to existing barge provisions.

This section revises the exemption from tank vessel safety standards (46 USC ch. 37) for documented non-tanker vessels transferring fuel solely to offshore facilities, expanding applicability from service of "oil exploitation" to "exploration, development, or production of offshore energy resources" in paragraph (2) of 46 USC 3702(b) and from transfers to "offshore drilling or production facilities in the oil industry" to those supporting "exploration, development, or production of offshore drilling or production facilities in the oil industry and non-mineral energy production" in the matter preceding paragraph (1). (Thus, the exemption now covers vessels supporting broader offshore energy activities, such as offshore wind development, previously limited to oil operations.) It further directs the Coast Guard Commandant to amend (1) 46 CFR 125.115(b) and (2) section G6.3.a of the Marine Safety Manual, Volume II (COMDTINST M16000.76, issued September 20, 2021), within 60 days of enactment to reflect the statutory change, with fallback provisions applying the revised exemption if amendments are not timely completed.

This section directs the Commandant of the Coast Guard to provide a briefing to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, on (1) the status of acquisition and procurement of second-generation Special Purpose Craft–Heavy Weather (SPC-HWX II) vessels; (2) the timeline for deploying such vessels to Pacific Northwest stations previously served by first-generation SPC-HW vessels; and (3) any outstanding barriers to timely deployment.