Title 14 — Coast GuardRelease 119-73

§1158 Authority to enter into transactions other than contracts and grants to procure cost-effective, advanced technology for mission-critical needs

Title 14 › Subtitle SUBTITLE I— - ESTABLISHMENT, POWERS, DUTIES, AND ADMINISTRATION › Chapter CHAPTER 11— - ACQUISITIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - PROCUREMENT › § 1158

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Commandant may use special transactions—not regular contracts, cooperative agreements, or grants—to run, test, and buy cost‑effective technology for Coast Guard missions. These actions must follow Coast Guard policy and meet operational needs. The Commandant cannot use this authority for tech that fails Coast Guard cyber standards or that comes from a company domiciled in the People’s Republic of China, except for counter‑UAS or intelligence/electronic/information warfare testing. Staff who handle these transactions must get training, and the Commandant must write rules to carry out the authority. "Counter‑UAS" means what 49 U.S.C. 44801 defines.

Full Legal Text

Title 14, §1158

Coast Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Subject to subsections (b) and (c), the Commandant may enter into transactions (other than contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants) to operate, test, and acquire cost-effective technology for the purpose of meeting the mission needs of the Coast Guard.

(b)Operation, testing, and acquisition of technologies under subsection (a) shall be—

(1)carried out in accordance with Coast Guard policies and guidance; and

(2)consistent with the operational requirements of the Coast Guard.

(c)The Commandant may not enter into a transaction under subsection (a) with respect to a technology that—

(1)does not comply with the cybersecurity standards of the Coast Guard; or

(2)is sourced from an entity domiciled in the People’s Republic of China, unless the Commandant determines that the prototype or procurement of such a technology is for the purpose of—

(A)counter-UAS or surrogate testing; or

(B)intelligence, electronic warfare, and information warfare, testing, and analysis.

(d)The Commandant shall ensure that management, technical, and contracting personnel of the Coast Guard involved in the award or administration of transactions under this section are provided adequate education and training with respect to the authority under this section.

(e)The Commandant shall prescribe regulations as necessary to carry out this section.

(f)In this section, the term “counter-UAS” has the meaning given such term in section 44801 of title 49.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

14 U.S.C. § 1158

Title 14 — Coast Guard

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73