Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025

(a) In general.— Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the state of the research, development, and innovation program of the Coast Guard during the 5-year period ending on such date of enactment.

(b) Elements.— The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) An evaluation and description of the process for selecting projects to be carried out under the research, development, and innovation program of the Coast Guard.

(2) An analysis of the manner in which funding needs are determined and requested for such program, and for the activities and projects of such program, in alignment with the appropriate fiscal year.

(3) An assessment of the manner in which the Coast Guard determines desired outcomes, and measures the impact, of successful projects on the execution of the operations and mission of the Coast Guard.

(4) An assessment of the manner in which the Coast Guard evaluates impacts and benefits of partnerships between the Coast Guard and the Department of Defense and other entities, and a description of the extent to which and manner in which the Coast Guard is leveraging such benefits and identifying and managing any potential challenge.

(5) An analysis of the manner in which the Commandant is working with partners to accelerate project transition from research, testing, evaluation, and prototype to production.

(6) An assessment of the manner in which the authority to enter into transactions other than contracts and grants pursuant to sections 719 and 1158 of title 14, United States Code, has been exercised by the Commandant, and a description of any training or resources necessary (including additional agreements for officers and training) to more fully exercise such authority.

(7) An evaluation of the role of the Blue Tech Center of Expertise established in section 302 of the Coast Guard Blue Technology Center of Expertise Act (Public Law 115–265).

(8) Recommendations regarding authorization, personnel, infrastructure, and other requirements necessary for the expeditious transition of technologies developed under such program from prototype to production in the field.

(c) Consultation.— In developing the report required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General may consult with—

(1) the maritime and aviation industries;

(2) the Secretary of Defense;

(3) the intelligence community; and

(4) any relevant—

(A) federally funded research institutions;

(B) nongovernmental organizations; and

(C) institutions of higher education.

(a) Definition of vessel traffic service center.— In this section, the term “vessel traffic service center” has the meaning given the term in section 70001(m) of title 46, United States Code.

(b) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall commence a study on employment compensation, competitiveness, assignment, and retention of civilian and military personnel assigned to or otherwise employed at vessel traffic service centers in the United States.

(c) Elements.— The study required under subsection (b) shall include the following:

(1) An assessment of the extent to which the classification, assignment, selection, and pay rates of personnel assigned to or otherwise employed at vessel traffic service centers are commensurate with the required experience, duties, safety functions, and responsibilities of such positions.

(2) An assessment of the appropriate classification, assignment, selection, and pay rate, as well as nonmonetary employment incentives, that would foster a robust and competitive civilian candidate pool for employment opportunities in civilian positions at vessel traffic service centers.

(3) An analysis of the average civilian employment retention rate and average term of employment of civilian personnel, by position, at vessel traffic service centers.

(4) An analysis of existing special payments, as discussed in the report by the Government Accountability Office entitled “Federal Pay: Opportunities Exist to Enhance Strategic Use of Special Payments” (published December 7, 2017; GAO–18–91), that may be available to personnel assigned to or otherwise employed at vessel traffic service centers.

(5) An evaluation of all assignment parameters and civilian hiring authority codes used by the Coast Guard in assigning and hiring personnel assigned to or otherwise employed at vessel traffic service centers.

(6) An analysis of whether opportunities exist to refine, consolidate, or expand Coast Guard civilian hiring authorities for purposes of hiring personnel at the vessel traffic service centers.

(7) An assessment of the ability of the composition, as in effect on the first day of the study, of military and civilian personnel assigned to or otherwise employed at vessel traffic service centers to ensure safety on the waterways and to manage increasing demand for vessel traffic services, taking into account the ranks and grades of such personnel, the respective experience levels and training of such personnel, and the respective duties, safety functions, and responsibilities of such personnel.

(8) An assessment of, and recommendations to improve, the Coast Guard’s efforts to support the career progression of and advancement opportunities for officers and enlisted members of the Coast Guard assigned to vessel traffic service centers.

(d) Report.— Not later than 1 year after commencing the study required under subsection (b), the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the findings of the study.

(a) In general.— Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall commence a review of the quality and availability of behavioral health care and related resources for Coast Guard personnel at the locations described in subsection (b).

(b) Locations to be reviewed.— In conducting the review under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall—

(1) first review the practices and policies relating to the availability of behavioral health care and related resources at Training Center Cape May; and

(2) review such practices and policies at—

(A) the Coast Guard Academy, including Officer Candidate School; and

(B) other Coast Guard training locations, as applicable.

(c) Elements.— The review conducted under subsection (a) shall include, for each location described in subsection (b), an assessment, and a description of available trend information (as applicable) for the 10-year period preceding the date of the review, with respect to each of the following:

(1) The nature of Coast Guard resources directed toward behavioral health services at the location.

(2) The manner in which the Coast Guard has managed treatment for recruits, cadets, officer candidates, or other personnel who may be experiencing a behavioral health crisis at the location (including individuals who have transferred to other buildings or facilities within the location).

(3) The extent to which the Coast Guard has identified the resources, such as physical spaces and facilities, necessary to manage behavioral health challenges and crises that Coast Guard personnel may face at the location.

(4) The behavioral health screenings required by the Coast Guard for recruits, cadets, officer candidates, or other personnel at the location, and the manner in which such screenings compare with screenings required by the Department of Defense for military recruits, service academy cadets, officer candidates, or other personnel at military service accession points.

(5) Whether the Coast Guard has assessed the adequacy of behavioral health resources and services for recruits, cadets, officer candidates, and other personnel at the location, and if so, the additional services and resources (such as resilience and life skills coaching), if any, needed to address any potential gaps.

(6) The manner in which the Coast Guard manages care transfers related to behavior health at the location, including command and other management input and privacy policies.

(7) The extent to which the Coast Guard has evaluated contributing factors or reasons for behavioral health crises experienced by newly enlisted personnel, cadets, officer candidates, or other personnel at the location.

(8) The extent to which the Coast Guard has addressed, at the location, provider care staffing standards and credentialing deficiencies identified in the report of the Comptroller General titled “Coast Guard Health Care: Improvements Needed for Determining Staffing Needs and Monitoring Access to Care”, issued on February 4, 2022.

(d) Reports.— The Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives—

(1) as soon as practicable but not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, a report relating to the results of the review conducted under subsection (a) relating to Training Center Cape May, including any recommendations the Comptroller General considers appropriate; and

(2) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act—

(A) a report on the results of the review conducted under subsection (a) relating to—

(i) the Coast Guard Academy, including Officer Candidate School; and

(ii) other Coast Guard training locations, as applicable; and

(B) any recommendations the Comptroller General considers appropriate.

(a) Study.— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall commence a study assessing the efforts of the Commandant—

(1) to reduce the prevalence of missing or incomplete medical records;

(2) to share medical data of members of the Coast Guard with the Department of Veterans Affairs; and

(3) to ensure that electronic health records are provided in a format that is user friendly and easy to access.

(b) Elements.— In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall review the following:

(1) The steps the Commandant has taken to reduce the prevalence of missing or incomplete medical records of members of the Coast Guard.

(2) How implementation of an electronic health record system has affected the ability of the Commandant to manage health records of members of the Coast Guard, including—

(A) how the Commandant adds records from private medical providers to the electronic health record system;

(B) the progress of the Commandant toward implementing the electronic health record system in shipboard sick bays of the Coast Guard;

(C) how the Coast Guard shares medical records with the Department of Veterans Affairs; and

(D) any other matter the Comptroller General considers appropriate with respect to medical record storage, use, and sharing and the associated consequences for member health and well-being.

(3) The ability of members of the Coast Guard, medical professionals of the Coast Guard and of the Department of Defense, personnel of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other personnel to access and search, as appropriate, the electronic health records of individuals, including the ability to search or quickly find information within electronic health records.

(c) Report.— Upon completion of the study under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report containing the results of the study under subsection (a).

(a) In general.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall commence a study on Coast Guard training facility infrastructure, including the specific needs of the Coast Guard training facilities described in subsection (c).

(b) Elements.— The study required under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) With respect to each Coast Guard training facility described in subsection (c)—

(A) a summary of capital needs, including construction and repair;

(B) a summary of equipment upgrade backlogs;

(C) an assessment of necessary improvements, including improvements to essential training equipment (including swimming pools, operational simulators, and marksmanship training ranges) to enable the Coast Guard to achieve all operational training objectives;

(D) a description of the resources necessary to fully address all training needs;

(E) an assessment of any security deficiency, including with respect to base access, training facility access, and trainee berthing area access;

(F) an identification of any exposed hazard that does not serve a training purpose;

(G) an identification of the presence of hazardous or toxic materials, including—

(i) lead-based paint;

(ii) asbestos or products that contain asbestos;

(iii) black mold;

(iv) radon; and

(v) contaminated drinking water; and

(H) an assessment of the need for, and estimated cost of, remediation of such toxic materials.

(2) An evaluation of the process used by the Coast Guard to identify, monitor, and construct Coast Guard training facilities.

(c) Coast Guard training facilities described.— The Coast Guard training facilities described in this subsection are the following:

(1) The Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

(2) The Leadership Development Center in New London, Connecticut.

(3) Training Center Cape May, New Jersey.

(4) Training Center Petaluma, California.

(5) Training Center Yorktown, Virginia.

(6) The Maritime Law Enforcement Academy in Charleston, South Carolina.

(7) The Special Missions Training Center at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

(8) The Gulf Regional Fisheries Training Center (GRFTC) in New Orleans, Louisiana.

(9) The North Pacific Regional Fisheries Training Center (NPRFTC) in Kodiak, Alaska.

(10) The Northeast Regional Fisheries Training Center (NRFTC) at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

(11) The Southeast Regional Fisheries Training Center (SRFTC) in Charleston, South Carolina.

(12) The Pacific Regional Fisheries Training Center (PRFTC) in Alameda, California.

(13) The National Motor Lifeboat School at Cape Disappointment, Washington.

(14) The Aviation Technical Training Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

(15) The Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama.

(d) Report.— Not later than 1 year after commencing the study required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the findings of the study.

(a) Study.—

(1) In general.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall commence a study on the facility and infrastructure needs of the Coast Guard stations and units described in paragraph (3).

(2) Elements.— The study required under paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to each Coast Guard station and unit described in paragraph (3), the following:

(A) An assessment of capital needs, including personnel capacity, construction, and repair.

(B) An assessment of equipment upgrade backlogs.

(C) An identification of any necessary improvement, including any improvement to operational and training equipment necessary to conduct safe and effective maritime border security operations.

(D) An identification of any resource necessary to fully address all operational and training needs.

(E) An identification of any physical security deficiency.

(F) An identification of any exposed hazard.

(G) An identification of the presence of any hazardous or toxic material, including—

(i) lead-based paint;

(ii) asbestos or any product that contains asbestos;

(iii) black mold;

(iv) radon; and

(v) contaminated drinking water.

(H) An assessment of the need for, and estimated cost of, remediation of any toxic material identified under subparagraph (G).

(3) Coast Guard stations described.— The Coast Guard stations and units described in this paragraph are the following:

(A) Coast Guard Station South Padre Island, Texas.

(B) Coast Guard Station Port Aransas, Texas.

(C) Coast Guard Station Port O"Connor, Texas.

(D) Coast Guard Station Bellingham, Washington.

(E) Coast Guard Station Neah Bay, Washington.

(F) Coast Guard Station Port Angeles, Washington.

(G) Coast Guard Station Ketchikan, Alaska.

(H) Coast Guard Station San Diego, California.

(I) Coast Guard Station Key West, Florida.

(J) Coast Guard Station Marathon, Florida.

(K) Coast Guard Station Islamorada, Florida.

(L) Coast Guard Station Jonesport, Maine.

(M) Coast Guard Station Bayfield, Wisconsin.

(N) Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

(O) Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Santa Barbara.

(P) Any other Coast Guard station the Comptroller General considers appropriate.

(b) Report.— Not later than 1 year after commencing the study required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, and the Commandant a report on the findings of the study, including any recommendation the Comptroller General considers appropriate.

(c) Briefings.— Not later than 180 days after the date on which the report required under subsection (b) is submitted to the Commandant, the Commandant shall provide a briefing to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives on—

(1) the actions the Commandant has taken, or has ceased to take, as a result of the findings, including any recommendation, set forth in the report; and

(2) a plan for addressing such findings and any such recommendation.

(a) In general.— Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Department of Defense issues the report on the Fourteenth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation, the Comptroller General of the United States shall commence a study of Coast Guard involvement in, and efforts to support, the determination of the cost of adequate housing and the calculation of the basic allowance for housing under section 403 of title 37, United States Code.

(b) Elements.— The study required under subsection (a) shall include, to the extent practicable, the following:

(1) An identification of Coast Guard duty locations in which there is a misalignment between the basic allowance for housing rate and the prevailing housing cost for members of the Coast Guard such that the basic allowance for housing is less than 95 percent of the monthly cost of adequate housing for such members in the corresponding military housing area.

(2) An analysis of each of the following:

(A) Anchor points, including—

(i) the methodology for the establishment of anchor points; and

(ii) with respect to housing provided as part of a public-private venture and Government-owned and Government-leased housing, the disparities between established anchor points and housing standards across the armed forces (as such term is defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code).

(B) Existing military housing boundary areas that affect the Coast Guard.

(C) Actions taken by the Commandant to comprehensively monitor basic allowance for housing rates for Coast Guard duty locations.

(D) The frequency of reviews conducted by the Commandant of the site visits used by the Department of Defense to inform military housing area boundaries.

(c) Report.— Not later than 1 year after the date on which the study required under subsection (a) commences, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, and the Commandant a report on the findings of the study, including any recommendation the Comptroller General considers appropriate.

(d) Plan.— Not later than 1 year after the date on which the report required by subsection (c) is submitted to the Commandant, the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives—

(1) an implementation plan, including timeframes and milestones, addressing any recommendation made by the Comptroller General in such report, as the Commandant considers appropriate; and

(2) with respect to any recommendation set forth in such report that the Commandant declines to implement, a written justification for the decision.

(e) Anchor point defined.— In this section, the term “anchor point”—

(1) means the minimum housing standard reference benchmark used to establish the basic allowance for housing under section 403 of title 37, United States Code; and

(2) includes housing type and size based on pay grade and dependent status.

(a) GAO report.—

(1) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the safety and security infrastructure at the Coast Guard Academy.

(2) Elements.— The report required under paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of each of the following:

(A) Existing security infrastructure for the grounds, buildings, athletic facilities, and any other facility of the Coast Guard Academy, including access points, locks, surveillance, and other security methods, as appropriate.

(B) Coast Guard policies with respect to the management, data storage and access, and operational capacity of the security infrastructure and methods evaluated under subparagraph (A).

(C) Special security needs relating to events at the Coast Guard Academy, such as large athletic events and other widely attended events.

(D) Coast Guard policies and procedures with respect to access to Coast Guard Academy grounds by—

(i) current or former members of the Coast Guard;

(ii) current or former civilian employees of the Coast Guard;

(iii) Coast Guard personnel that reside at the Academy and families of cadets; and

(iv) members of the public.

(E) Existing processes by which the Commandant, the Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy, or a designated individual may prohibit or restrict access to Coast Guard Academy grounds by any current or former member or civilian employee of the Coast Guard who—

(i) has been subject to court-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for sexual misconduct; or

(ii) has been administratively disciplined for sexual misconduct.

(F) Enforcement processes regarding access to Coast Guard Academy grounds for individuals (including current and former cadets, members, and civilian employees of the Coast Guard) who are or have been subject to a no-contact order relating to—

(i) a cadet or member of the faculty of the Academy; or

(ii) any other individual with access to Academy grounds.

(G) Recommendations to improve—

(i) the security of the Coast Guard Academy; and

(ii) the safety of—

(I) cadets at the Coast Guard Academy; and

(II) members of the Coast Guard stationed at, and civilian employees of, the Coast Guard Academy.

(b) Actions by Commandant.—

(1) Report.— Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Comptroller General submits the report required under subsection (a), the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that includes—

(A) a detailed plan to improve the security of, and the safety of cadets at, the Coast Guard Academy; and

(B) a detailed timeline for implementation of—

(i) the recommendations made by the Comptroller General in such report; and

(ii) any other safety improvement the Commandant considers appropriate.

(2) Policy.— Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Comptroller General submits the report required under subsection (a), the Commandant, in a manner that maintains good order and discipline, shall update Coast Guard policy relating to access to the Coast Guard Academy grounds to include procedures by which individuals may be prohibited from accessing the Coast Guard Academy—

(A) as the Commandant considers appropriate; and

(B) consistent with the recommendations made by the Comptroller General in such report.

(a) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with the Superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy, shall commence a study on the number of administratively determined billets for teaching and coaching necessary to support Coast Guard Academy recruitment, intercollegiate athletics, health and physical education, and leadership development programs.

(b) Elements.— The study required under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) An identification of the number of full-time and part-time employees performing coaching functions at the Coast Guard Academy whose positions are funded by a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Coast Guard.

(2) An identification of the number of full-time and part-time employees whose positions are funded by a nonappropriated fund instrumentality performing coaching functions at the following:

(A) The United States Military Academy.

(B) The United States Naval Academy.

(C) The United States Air Force Academy.

(D) The United States Merchant Marine Academy.

(3) An analysis of the roles performed by athletic coaches with respect to officer development at the Coast Guard Academy, including the specific functions of athletic coaches within the health and physical education and leadership development program curriculums.

(4) An identification of any adverse impacts on or deficiencies in cadet training and officer development resulting from an inadequate number of administratively determined billets for teaching and coaching at the Coast Guard Academy.

(c) Consultation.— In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Comptroller General may consult a federally funded research and development center.

(d) Report.— The Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee of Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the results of the study conducted under this section.

(a) Study.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall commence a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the permanent change of station process of the Coast Guard.

(b) Report.—

(1) In general.— Not later than 1 year after commencing the study required by subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report on the findings of the study.

(2) Elements.— The report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) A description of the permanent change of station policies of the Coast Guard.

(B) A description of Coast Guard spending on permanent change of station moves and associated support costs.

(C) An evaluation of the effectiveness of using contracted movers for permanent change of station moves, including the estimated costs associated with—

(i) lost or damaged personal property of members of the Coast Guard;

(ii) delays in scheduling such a move through a contracted mover;

(iii) delayed delivery of household goods; and

(iv) other related challenges.

(D) A review of changes to permanent change of station policies implemented during the 10-year period ending on the date of enactment of this Act, and the costs or savings to the Coast Guard directly associated with such changes.

(E) Recommendations to improve the permanent change of station process of the Coast Guard.

(F) Any additional information or related matter arising from the study, as the Comptroller General considers appropriate.