House lawmakers eye Coast Guard secretary, personnel increases
House lawmakers have unveiled a bipartisan Coast Guard authorization bill that seeks to address the service’s personnel shortages and aging equipment, while also creating stronger protections for service members from sexual assault and harassment.
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, introduced this week by leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, would authorize funding for the service through 2029.
The bill seeks to bolster many aspects of a reform plan called “Force Design 2028,” that was formally unveiled by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in May.
The bill would authorize the Coast Guard to increase its end strength to 60,000 by fiscal 2028, aligning with the administration’s plans to increase the service’s workforce by at least 15,000 personnel over the next few years.
The House committee’s authorization legislation was introduced shortly before lawmakers passed the major budget and reconciliation bill, which includes an additional $ 24.5 billion for the Coast Guard to invest in shipbuilding, aircraft, shore facilities and maintenance.
The legislation would also create a Coast Guard Service Secretary position, similar to other branches of the military. The Coast Guard commandant, a four-star admiral, is currently tasked with leading the service.
The Trump administration has also proposed establishing a civilian Coast Guard secretary position.
“The Coast Guard is one of our nation’s six armed services, and Congress must provide these brave men and women the support they need to carry out their many missions. That’s exactly what this bill does,” House T&I Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) said in a statement. “From protecting our maritime borders, to stemming the tide of illegal migrants and drugs into the country, to ensuring the safety of mariners and much more, this bill supports the important security, safety, and economically critical work of the Coast Guard.”
Meanwhile, the Senate passed a two-year Coast Guard reauthorization bill in March. The Senate’s legislation includes many similar provisions as the House committee’s bill, though it does not create a Coast Guard secretary position.
Personnel provisions
The House committee’s legislation would bring parity to parental leave for Coast Guard reservists, aligning with a provision in the fiscal 2025 defense authorization law.
The bill would also give the Coast Guard more flexibility to acquire housing for service members. It would require the Coast Guard to update Congress on its implementation of recommendations from a 2024 Government Accountability Office report, “Better Feedback Collection and Information Could Enhance Housing Program.”
The bill would additionally grant the Coast Guard direct-hire authority for some difficult-to-fill positions. The jobs covered include medical and health roles, childcare professionals, positions related to Coast Guard housing, nonclinical specialist positions, and special agents in the Coast Guard’s Investigative Service.
The committee also wants to see the Coast Guard adopt stronger protections for members of the Coast Guard from sexual assault and harassment. The legislation seeks to address gaps that came to light as part of a secret investigation.
Dubbed “Operation Fouled Anchor,” the Coast Guard quietly closed the investigation and hid it from Congress and the public, despite substantiating dozens of sexual assaults that had been mishandled at the Coast Guard academy.
The bill would have GAO conduct an independent review of the Coast Guard’s reforms to date, while also instituting new policies and procedures to bolster the retention and access to evidence and records relating to sexual misconduct and other misconduct.
The legislation would also require the Coast Guard to establish a “safe-to-report” policy to remove barriers to reporting for victims, among other provisions.
“From preventing oil spills on the U.S.-Canada border near the Puget Sound to ensuring the Coast Guard is prepared for tsunamis to cracking down on the scourge of sexual assault and harassment in the service, this bill will improve the quality of life for Coasties, increase maritime safety and strengthen our national security,” T&I Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) said in a statement. “I look forward to its swift passage.”
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