# 119-hr-4275: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 119-hr-4275, Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6] (R-MO) with 4 cosponsors; status passed_house; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4275 - As of: 2026-09-10 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-hr-4275 - Congress: 119 - Title: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 - Status: passed_house - Introduced: 2025-07-02 - Sponsor: Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6] (R-MO) - Cosponsors: 4 - Policy area: Transportation and Public Works - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-09-10 ## Summary **Boosts Coast Guard funding and capacity** while reorganizing civilian leadership and strengthening cadet and survivor protections for sexual misconduct. The bill pairs large multi-year budget increases with new acquisition oversight, expanded personnel authorities, and modernization of mariner credentialing. - Families and cadets: Expands family leave to cover adoption and long-term foster placement, adds a maternity uniform cash allowance, and creates expedited transfer and Safe-to-Report policies and stronger dormitory, privacy, and behavioral health protections at the Coast Guard Academy. - Coast Guard workforce: Authorizes end strength growth to 60,000 by FY2028, raises training capacity targets, creates direct-hire authority for key clinical and mission positions, and funds recruitment and retention incentives for remote duty stations. - Mariners, ports, and technology: Modernizes merchant mariner credentialing, tightens acquisition and homeporting oversight for major cutters and aircraft, funds unmanned/autonomous systems pilots, and expands port, Arctic, and polar planning and safety programs. *This Act authorizes multi-year base funding that rises from $11.3 billion in FY2025 to $15.5 billion in FY2029, increasing federal spending for the Coast Guard over that period.* ## Cosponsors (4) - Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2] (D-WA), 2025-07-02T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Ezell, Mike [R-MS-4] (R-MS), 2025-07-02T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (D-CA), 2025-07-02T00:00:00.000Z - Rep. Webster, Daniel [R-FL-11] (R-FL), 2025-07-14T00:00:00.000Z ## Votes | Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-07-23T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended | Passed | 399 | 12 | ## Provisions PRIA read - College aid to join Coast Guard Reserve: benefit, high. If enacted, full‑time undergraduates could enlist in the Coast Guard Reserve and get up to $25,000 per academic year for up to five years. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, age 19–31 (unless waived), eligible for a secret clearance, and enrolled at an approved school usually within 100 miles of a C… - More Coast Guard hiring and bonuses: benefit, high. If enacted, the Coast Guard could grow to 50,000 members in FY2025–FY2026, 55,000 in FY2027, and 60,000 in FY2028–FY2029. The Commandant would be able to directly hire qualified people for certain hard‑to‑fill jobs through September 30, 2030. Civilian firefighters at remote Coast Guard locations wo… - Stronger help for Coast Guard victims: benefit, high. If enacted, special‑victim protections would extend to the Coast Guard and add the Coast Guard Investigative Service. The Commandant would have to set a fast transfer option, strengthen anti‑retaliation rules, and speed victim access to case records with minimal redactions. Members who reported a s… - Five-year Coast Guard funding plan: benefit, high. If enacted, Congress would authorize Coast Guard funding for five years: about $11.29 billion (FY2025), $11.85 billion (FY2026), $13.5 billion (FY2027), $14.5 billion (FY2028), and $15.5 billion (FY2029). This keeps core operations, missions, and retired pay on a planned track. - Mandatory misconduct training for all members: benefit, medium. The Coast Guard would update curricula within two years to cover reporting, survivor safety, and legal resources. Annual training for all members would start within one year. First responder, leader, and new‑accession training would have added modules on short timelines. - Return victims' property after cases: benefit, medium. If enacted, personal property held as evidence in a rape or sexual assault case could be returned after all legal and administrative steps are done. Victims who filed restricted reports could request return confidentially at any time. Victims would be told that early return could affect later legal… - Safe-to-report rule for victims: benefit, medium. Within 90 days, the Coast Guard would adopt a safe‑to‑report policy. It would explain how to handle minor collateral misconduct by victims or reporting witnesses, list mitigating and aggravating factors, and track these incidents anonymously. - Better behavioral health care for members: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Coast Guard would embed behavioral health technicians at three or more clinics within 270 days and report yearly through September 30, 2029. An independent review would start within 60 days to assess behavioral health care at Training Center Cape May, the Academy, and other training… - Faster transfers and care for victims: benefit, medium. If enacted, Coast Guard Academy cadets who are victims of covered offenses would get transfer decisions within 72 hours, with Secretary review in 72 hours if denied. Members who report a sexual assault within the past five years and show signs of mental or brain disorders could request a medical ex… - Better housing and moves for Coast Guard: benefit, medium. If enacted, an independent study would review Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) anchor points and find duty locations where BAH is under 95% of local housing costs. The Commandant would then send an implementation plan within one year of that report. Another study would examine permanent change of… - Check training sites for hazards: benefit, medium. Within 180 days, GAO would start a study of Coast Guard training facilities, including the Academy and training centers. The report, due within a year of starting, would list capital needs, security gaps, and hazards like lead, asbestos, black mold, radon, and unsafe water, with cleanup cost estima… - Extra pay for marine inspectors: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Secretary could pay assignment or special duty pay to Coast Guard members serving as marine inspectors in billets the Commandant finds hard to fill. The Commandant would decide which billets qualify based on location, experience needs, or lack of candidates. - Family leave and maternity uniform help: benefit, medium. If enacted, Coast Guard family leave would cover placement of a minor child for adoption or long‑term foster care. Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve members paid under 37 U.S.C. 206 would be covered. The Secretary could allow leave after one year for things like operations or training.… - Faster path to mariner credentials: benefit, medium. If enacted, this would make it easier and faster to earn merchant mariner credentials. Able Seaman classes would be listed clearly, and applicants must be at least 18, show sea service, pass exams or education, and meet medical standards. Approved training could replace up to half of required sea d… - Safer housing and care at Academy: benefit, medium. The Coast Guard Academy would add electronic locks for each cadet room within two years and keep access logs. It would maintain existing locks, post crime‑reporting and support contacts in all dorm buildings, and create at least two private rooms for medical and telehealth within two years. GAO wou… - More Coast Guard contracting and grants: benefit, medium. If enacted, the minor construction threshold would rise from $1,500,000 to $4,000,000, which could reduce paperwork for small contractors. Fishing safety training grants would provide $6 million each year for FY2025–FY2029, awarded competitively. The Coast Guard could run up to four technology pilo… - Annual Coast Guard budget transparency: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Commandant would brief Congress within 30 days on FY2024 costs to meet section 564 and again by November 1, 2025 and 2026 for FY2025–2026. If the President’s budget leaves out needed Operations and Support funding for authorized end strength, the Commandant would submit a non‑delega… - Better spill response and ballast data: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Coast Guard would share ballast‑water test data with states, tribes, and territories upon request, when allowed by law. Within 180 days, the Coast Guard and State Department would update the joint U.S.–Canada maritime pollution plan and review risks by area. They would also run a jo… - Coast Guard unmanned systems plan: benefit, medium. This bill would boost planning and oversight of unmanned maritime tech. GAO would report within 18 months on current systems, costs, and results. Within 60 days, the Coast Guard would seek a National Academies study and get a report within a year. Within one year, the Coast Guard would send Congres… - Expand uncrewed vessels, drones, and training: benefit, medium. If enacted, NOAA small uncrewed vessels under 35 feet would be exempt from certain rules for two years when needed for real‑time extreme‑weather and ocean data, with a Coast Guard safety override. The Coast Guard would offer one course each year for three years on small uncrewed maritime systems. N… - Great Lakes icebreaking plan and pilot: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Coast Guard would file a strategy within 90 days to design and build a Great Lakes icebreaker like the Mackinaw, with costs and a delivery timeline once funded. A Bay‑class tug replacement plan would be due in one year. A five‑season pilot would test keeping tier‑one and tier‑two wa… - New civilian leader and watchdogs: benefit, medium. If enacted, a civilian Secretary of the Coast Guard would be appointed by the President with Senate approval. The Commandant would report to this Secretary, who could not eliminate, materially change, or privatize the service’s primary duties and must report yearly on that. The bill would also esta… - Overseas maritime cyber help: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Secretary would be allowed to work with foreign partners on cyber prevention and response for marine systems tied to U.S. shipping or illegal fishing. The Secretary would coordinate with the Secretary of State before support. Foreign partners could be required to reimburse costs. - Plans for cutters and air assets: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Coast Guard would brief Congress within 180 days on acquiring and deploying heavy‑weather rescue boats in the Pacific Northwest. Within 180 days, it would start a study of the Corpus Christi air station hangar and report within one year on needed upgrades, rotary‑wing support, corro… - Review of Coast Guard research program: benefit, medium. If enacted, GAO would report within 18 months on Coast Guard research and innovation over the past five years. The report would assess how projects are chosen and funded, results and transitions to production, use of special contracting authorities, and the Blue Tech Center’s role. It would include… - Safer ports with buoys, anchorages, firefighting: benefit, medium. The Coast Guard would pause removing certain buoys and dayboards until 180 days after a required report. It would put into action the 2021 plan to restructure San Pedro Bay anchorages within one year and study anchorages near pipelines. It would gain authority to require inspections, drills, and ca… - Stronger policy against sea drug trafficking: benefit, medium. Within one year, the Coast Guard would set a policy, with DEA, State, and Defense, to deter and stop illicit drug trafficking at sea. When possible, the policy would require seizure or proper handling of unlawful drug vessels. It would focus on areas like the Eastern Pacific, Indo‑Pacific, Caribbea… - Stronger rules to prevent misconduct: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Secretary would set a policy within 90 days to report any allegation against a senior leader to the department Inspector General within 72 hours, with the IG getting first right to investigate. GAO would review Coast Guard actions on sexual assault and harassment within one year, an… - Study traffic and risks in Bering Strait: benefit, medium. Within 90 days, the Coast Guard would seek a National Academies study of commercial traffic in the Bering Strait and growth over 10 years. The study would assess vessel types, links to Russia or China, and oil spill and emergency response needs at Port of Point Spencer. A report would be due within… - Pacific plans and homeporting reports: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Commandant would submit an unclassified Pacific operations plan by December 31, 2025 and each year after, plus an annual budget display by February 15, 2026 and each year after. A shore infrastructure report to support homeporting new assets would be due within 180 days. An initial… - Port safety pilots and pipeline alerts: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Ports and Waterways Safety pilot would run in FY2025–FY2029 and include cyber, organized crime, and foreign threat risks. Within one year, vessel traffic services would add audible and visual alarms for anchored ships that drift near underwater pipelines and set notification procedu… - Stronger policies and oversight at Academy: benefit, medium. Within 60 days, the Academy would start reviewing its sexual harassment and sexual violence policy and finish within 180 days. The policy would add in‑person training, anti‑retaliation rules, and protective order steps, and hire a Primary Prevention Specialist within 180 days. The Coast Guard would… - Faster permits for offshore energy work: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Maritime Administration would lead environmental reviews for deepwater port applications. Certain Coast Guard authorities for deepwater port rules would shift to the Secretary of Transportation within 18 months, while the Coast Guard would keep safety roles. Vessels could transfer f… - Updates to Coast Guard buying and funds: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Coast Guard would have to consider life‑cycle costs when designing and buying vessels and aircraft. Projects that only extend service life and fix obsolete parts would be exempt from some major acquisition rules. The Coast Guard would be treated like other Treasury law‑enforcement g… - Command sponsorship for Unalaska families: benefit, low. If enacted, a Coast Guard member assigned to Unalaska, Alaska could request command sponsorship for dependents. The Commandant would have to grant it. - Define covered misconduct in law: benefit, low. This bill would add a clear Coast Guard definition of “covered misconduct,” listing offenses like rape, sexual assault, child exploitation, stalking, and domestic violence. The definition would apply across title 14. - Flag review for possible retaliatory separations: benefit, low. Within 120 days, the Coast Guard would set a policy to review proposed involuntary separations for members who reported covered misconduct and claim retaliation. A flag officer would have to concur before separation. Officials tied to the complaint would have to recuse. - Stronger military protective order policies: benefit, low. Within 180 days, the Coast Guard would require written reasons for any denied military protective order and send them to the next flag officer. Approving officials with conflicts would have to recuse. Victims would be told how to request expedited transfers, no‑contact orders, and protective orders. - More behavioral health help for members: benefit, low. Within 180 days, the Coast Guard would hire at least five more behavioral health specialists. At least 35% would have military sexual trauma and PTSD expertise. Services could use telemedicine and would be widely available to members. - Academy oversight and cadet housing choice: benefit, low. If enacted, the Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors would be reset with new membership, at least annual visits, and public reports due within 60 days after each meeting. Cadets would be able to request a room change if their assignment causes discomfort, under academy policy. - Alaska spill‑response boats skip inspections: benefit, low. If enacted, some non‑barge vessels in Western Alaska or Prince William Sound helping with oil‑spill response would be exempt from inspection. A vessel would need an approved response agreement or Secretary approval and at least one crew member with hazardous‑response training. It could tow only sma… - St. Lucie rule waits for traffic study: benefit, low. If enacted, before finalizing the rule in docket USCG‑2022‑0222, the Coast Guard would do an independent boat‑traffic study at mile 7.4 of the St. Lucie River. The final rule could not be adopted until the study is finished. - More support for marine wildlife grants: benefit, low. If enacted, the 5% cap on administrative costs for Marine Debris Act grants would be removed. Exxon Valdez restoration trustees could prioritize grants for habitat protection and restoration and use clarified terms and accounts. The Puget Sound Cetacean Desk pilot would run 6 years instead of 4. - New Tribal and Native Hawaiian advisor: benefit, low. If enacted, the Coast Guard would add a Special Advisor for Tribal and Native Hawaiian Affairs at GS‑15 or higher. The advisor would guide policy and support consultation. The Commandant would brief Congress within 120 days on how the role fits into governance. - Online reporting for spills and releases: benefit, low. Within one year, the National Response Center would plan a web app to receive oil spill and hazardous release reports. Within two years after the plan, the app would accept online notifications. Other reporting methods would still be allowed. - Shared policing at Coast Guard Academy: benefit, low. If enacted, the Secretary could allow both federal and Connecticut law to apply on Coast Guard Academy lands in New London. This would let the state and city investigate and prosecute crimes under Connecticut law on Academy property. - Study fog rules and navigation tech: benefit, low. If enacted, the Coast Guard and Commerce would study how allies manage ports and ships in fog and low visibility. They would look at radar, remote sensing, tracking, and drones. The goal is safer operations using proven methods. - Tsunami plans for Coast Guard sites: benefit, low. Within one year, the Coast Guard would make a tsunami plan for each property in a tsunami zone. Plans would set evacuation routes, cover aircraft and vessels, and require annual drills and training. The Coast Guard would brief Congress on status within 14 months. - Nonprofits may use Academy facilities: benefit, low. If enacted, certain nonprofit foundations that support the Academy could use its facilities or equipment, with legal and safety safeguards. Uses would follow ethics rules and attorney review. The Secretary would issue policies, and Congress would be briefed in years the authority is used. - Train Coast Guard on Congress: benefit, low. The Coast Guard would offer at least one course a year on how Congress works. Members picked for congressional roles would need in‑person training. At least 60% of instructors would be outside the executive branch. - Downgrade discharges for proven misconduct: cost, high. If enacted, a review board could downgrade an honorable discharge to a general discharge when clear and convincing evidence shows sexual assault or sexual harassment under listed statutes. The board could not act if the same issue was already considered before separation. The Coast Guard would star… - Misconduct notes in service records: cost, medium. If enacted, when covered misconduct leads to conviction, nonjudicial punishment, or punitive action, a note would go in the member’s personnel record (not the restricted section). Commanders would have to review a member’s documented history when assigning or transferring them. The Coast Guard woul… - Harsher penalties for reckless boating: cost, medium. If enacted, running a vessel in a grossly negligent way that endangers people or property would be a class A misdemeanor. If it causes serious bodily injury, it would be a class E felony. A civil penalty up to $35,000 could also be assessed. - New penalties for abandoned boats: cost, low. If enacted, owners and operators would face a civil penalty up to $500 for abandoning a covered non‑barge vessel, such as leaving it unattended more than 45 days. They would also be liable in rem for costs tied to the vessel, with exceptions for major extenuating circumstances. The Coast Guard woul… - New safety steps for passenger vessels: cost, low. If enacted, passenger vessels would need supplies to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases, scaled to trip length and people on board. Vessels would also need electronic logs that record the date, time, and identity of each crew member who enters a passenger stateroom. Procedures would have to… - New pilotage rules at Mackinac Straits: cost, low. If enacted, the Straits of Mackinac would be designated pilotage waters, including key nearby passages and approaches. Vessels working there would face pilotage requirements, which could raise operating costs for local maritime businesses. - Tougher officer oversight and career rules: mixed, high. If enacted, retired grade decisions could be reopened for serious misconduct, including sexual assault or failure to report it, with standards due in 180 days. The officer separation review process would be overhauled by removing the board‑of‑review tier and requiring new procedures by regulation.… - Stronger oversight of big ship buys: mixed, high. If enacted, the Coast Guard would have to brief Congress every quarter on major acquisitions and give notice at least a week before big contract moves. It would send decision memos within five business days of approval and a detailed spending plan tied to Public Law 119‑21 within 90 days of that la… - Helicopter buys paused until report: mixed, high. If enacted, the Commandant would submit a helicopter fleet report within six months that assesses types, alternatives, and needed numbers by district. From FY2027 through FY2029, funds for helicopter procurement or modernization would be paused until the report is submitted, unless the Commandant g… - Chief Prosecutor for serious cases: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Commandant would select a qualified O‑7 or above Chief Prosecutor. The Chief Prosecutor would decide whether reported offenses are covered, and would control charging, referrals to court‑martial, and plea deals, with limited exceptions for commanders. - Keep misconduct evidence and files longer: mixed, medium. Within one year, the Coast Guard would set a policy to preserve evidence and records for covered misconduct. Rape and sexual assault evidence and case files would be kept at least 50 years; other cases at least through the UCMJ limits. Work product and a signed case action summary would be kept at… - New rules for merchant mariner credentials: mixed, medium. If enacted, credential denials could be based on convictions under Federal, State, local, or Tribal law, and on certain UCMJ offenses. The bill would add a legal definition of harassment on vessels and require reporting of sexual harassment or assault that violates policy or law. Renewed active cre… - Noncitizen mariners added, 50% crew cap: mixed, medium. If enacted, credential rules would include noncitizen nationals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1408. From enactment through December 31, 2065, no more than 50% of unlicensed seamen on covered vessels could be the listed aliens. Vessel operators would need to count total unlicensed crew and how many fall in… - Smarter ship inspections and cyber drills: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Secretary could use a performance‑based exam schedule for foreign vessels after an assessment shows safety stays at least as strong as annual exams. Ships with a detention, a proved violation, or a qualifying casualty in the past 36 months would not qualify. The Coast Guard would br… - Better data sharing on sexual assault: mixed, low. The Coast Guard would join DoD’s CATCH program, with an agreement in 60 days. Within 180 days, it would make its case system interface with the Defense Sexual Assault Incident Database. Within 60 days after that agreement, it would send Congress a plan to ensure authorized staff can access the syst… - Expert officer track for justice, health: mixed, low. The Secretary could designate some officers as experts in military justice or healthcare. They would follow a different promotion path and could not be promoted above captain. - Fishing gear pause and safety training: mixed, low. If enacted, the suspension of enforcement for using AIS to mark fishing gear would continue until December 31, 2029. Commercial fishing crews would get required health and safety training that covers substance use disorder and fatigue, designed with the Coast Guard. - Tighter maritime security and more reporting: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would clearly ban controlled‑substance activities on covered vessels and block lawsuits against on‑scene coordinator decisions until a cleanup is complete. Representatives of countries listed as state sponsors of terrorism would be barred from visiting facilities that require a… - Limits on Seaway and New York ports: mixed, low. If enacted, only the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation could receive certain Seaway‑related delegations. New anchorage grounds on the Hudson River between Palisades and Germantown would be suspended. The Port of New York boundaries that existed before 2023 would stay in place… ## Related bills - 119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act - 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025 - 119-hr-9497: Water Resources Development Act of 2026 - 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025 - 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act - 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 ## Sources - [119-hr-4275 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4275) ## Related - [119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8870) - [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669) - [119-hr-9497: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9497) - [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151) - [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842) - [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4275 (as of 2026-09-10).