3844 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(1) at educational institutions at the high school 
and higher education levels; and 
(2) for the officer and enlisted ranks. 
(b) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, 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 Rep-
resentatives a report on the strategy developed under 
subsection (a). 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required under para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A description of existing Coast Guard re-
cruitment and accession programs at educational in-
stitutions at the high school and higher education 
levels. 
(B) An explanation of the manner in which the 
strategy supports the overall diversity and inclusion 
action plan of the Coast Guard. 
(C) A description of the manner in which exist-
ing programs and partnerships will be modified or 
expanded to enhance diversity in recruiting in high 
school and institutions of higher education (as such 
term is defined in section 101 of the Higher Edu-
3845 
•HRES 1512 EH 
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) and acces-
sion. 
SEC. 11250. SUPPORT FOR COAST GUARD ACADEMY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 9 of title 
14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘§ 953. Support for Coast Guard Academy 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) 
CONTRACTS
AND
COOPERATIVE
AGREE-
MENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Commandant may 
enter contract and cooperative agreements with 1 or 
more qualified organizations for the purpose of sup-
porting the athletic programs of the Coast Guard 
Academy. 
‘‘(B) AUTHORITY.—Notwithstanding section 
3201(e) of title 10, the Commandant may enter 
into such contracts and cooperative agreements on 
a sole source basis pursuant to section 3204(a) of 
title 10. 
‘‘(C) ACQUISITIONS.—Notwithstanding chapter 
63 of title 31, a cooperative agreement under this 
section may be used to acquire property or services 
for the direct benefit or use of the Coast Guard 
Academy.
3846 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(2) FINANCIAL CONTROLS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Before entering into a 
contract or cooperative agreement under paragraph 
(1), the Commandant shall ensure that the contract 
or agreement includes appropriate financial controls 
to account for the resources of the Coast Guard 
Academy and the qualified organization concerned 
in accordance with accepted accounting principles. 
‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—Any such contract or coop-
erative agreement shall contain a provision that al-
lows the Commandant to review, as the Com-
mandant considers necessary, the financial accounts 
of the qualified organization to determine whether 
the operations of the qualified organization— 
‘‘(i) are consistent with the terms of the 
contract or cooperative agreement; and 
‘‘(ii) would compromise the integrity or 
appearance of integrity of any program of the 
Department of Homeland Security. 
‘‘(3) LEASES.—For the purpose of supporting the 
athletic programs of the Coast Guard Academy, the 
Commandant may, consistent with section 504(a)(13), 
rent or lease real property located at the Coast Guard 
Academy to a qualified organization, except that pro-
3847 
•HRES 1512 EH 
ceeds from such a lease shall be retained and expended 
in accordance with subsection (f). 
‘‘(b) SUPPORT SERVICES.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—To the extent required by a con-
tract or cooperative agreement under subsection (a), the 
Commandant may provide support services to a qualified 
organization while the qualified organization conducts 
support activities at the Coast Guard Academy only if 
the Commandant determines that the provision of such 
services is essential for the support of the athletic pro-
grams of the Coast Guard Academy. 
‘‘(2) NO LIABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES.—Sup-
port services may only be provided without any liability 
of the United States to a qualified organization. 
‘‘(3) SUPPORT SERVICES DEFINED.—In this sub-
section, the term ‘support services’ includes utilities, of-
fice furnishings and equipment, communications services, 
records staging and archiving, audio and video support, 
and security systems, in conjunction with the leasing or 
licensing of property. 
‘‘(c) TRANSFERS FROM NONAPPROPRIATED FUND OP-
ERATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the Commandant may, subject to the accept-
ance of the qualified organization concerned, transfer to
3848 
•HRES 1512 EH 
the qualified organization all title to and ownership of 
the assets and liabilities of the Coast Guard non-
appropriated fund instrumentality, the function of which 
includes providing support for the athletic programs of 
the Coast Guard Academy, including bank accounts and 
financial reserves in the accounts of such fund instru-
mentality, equipment, supplies, and other personal prop-
erty. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—The Commandant may not 
transfer under paragraph (1) any interest in real prop-
erty. 
‘‘(d) ACCEPTANCE OF SUPPORT FROM QUALIFIED OR-
GANIZATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 1342 
of title 31, the Commandant may accept from a qualified 
organization funds, supplies, and services for the support 
of the athletic programs of the Coast Guard Academy. 
‘‘(2) EMPLOYEES OF QUALIFIED ORGANIZATION.— 
For purposes of this section, employees or personnel of 
the qualified organization may not be considered to be 
employees of the United States. 
‘‘(3) FUNDS
RECEIVED
FROM
NCAA.—The Com-
mandant may accept funds from the National Collegiate 
Athletic Association to support the athletic programs of 
the Coast Guard Academy.
3849 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(4) LIMITATION.—The Commandant shall ensure 
that contributions under this subsection and expenditure 
of funds pursuant to subsection (f) do not— 
‘‘(A) reflect unfavorably on the ability of the 
Coast Guard, any employee of the Coast Guard, or 
any member of the armed forces (as such term is 
defined in section 101(a) of title 10) to carry out 
any responsibility or duty in a fair and objective 
manner; or 
‘‘(B) compromise the integrity or appearance 
of integrity of any program of the Coast Guard, or 
any individual involved in such a program. 
‘‘(e) TRADEMARKS AND SERVICE MARKS.— 
‘‘(1) LICENSING, MARKETING, AND
SPONSORSHIP 
AGREEMENTS.—An agreement under subsection (a) may, 
consistent with section 2260 of title 10 (other than sub-
section (d) of such section), authorize a qualified organi-
zation to enter into licensing, marketing, and sponsor-
ship agreements relating to trademarks and service 
marks identifying the Coast Guard Academy, subject to 
the approval of the Commandant. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.—A licensing, marketing, or 
sponsorship agreement may not be entered into under 
paragraph (1) if—
3850 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(A) such agreement would reflect unfavorably 
on the ability of the Coast Guard, any employee of 
the Coast Guard, or any member of the armed 
forces to carry out any responsibility or duty in a 
fair and objective manner; or 
‘‘(B) the Commandant determines that the use 
of the trademark or service mark would compromise 
the integrity or appearance of integrity of any pro-
gram of the Coast Guard or any individual involved 
in such a program. 
‘‘(f) RETENTION AND USE OF FUNDS.—Funds received 
by the Commandant under this section may be retained for 
use to support the athletic programs of the Coast Guard 
Academy and shall remain available until expended. 
‘‘(g) CONDITIONS.—The authority provided in this sec-
tion with respect to a qualified organization is available only 
so long as the qualified organization continues— 
‘‘(1) to operate in accordance with this section, the 
law of the State of Connecticut, and the constitution and 
bylaws of the qualified organization; and 
‘‘(2) to operate exclusively to support the athletic 
programs of the Coast Guard Academy. 
‘‘(h) QUALIFIED ORGANIZATION DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘qualified organization’ means an organiza-
tion—
3851 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(1) that operates as an organization under sub-
section (c)(3) of section 501 of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under sub-
section (a) of that section; 
‘‘(2) for which authorization under sections 1033(a) 
and 1589(a) of title 10 may be provided; and 
‘‘(3) established by the Coast Guard Academy 
Alumni Association solely for the purpose of supporting 
Coast Guard athletics. 
‘‘§ 954. Mixed-funded athletic and recreational extra-
curricular programs 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.—In the case of a Coast Guard Acad-
emy mixed-funded athletic or recreational extracurricular pro-
gram, the Commandant may designate funds appropriated to 
the Coast Guard and available for that program to be treated 
as nonappropriated funds and expended for that program in 
accordance with laws applicable to the expenditure of non-
appropriated funds. Appropriated funds so designated shall 
be considered to be nonappropriated funds for all purposes 
and shall remain available until expended. 
‘‘(b) COVERED PROGRAMS.—In this section, the term 
‘Coast Guard Academy mixed-funded athletic or recreational 
extracurricular program’ means an athletic or recreational ex-
tracurricular program of the Coast Guard Academy to which 
each of the following applies:
3852 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(1) The program is not considered a morale, wel-
fare, or recreation program. 
‘‘(2) The program is supported through appro-
priated funds. 
‘‘(3) The program is supported by a non-
appropriated fund instrumentality. 
‘‘(4) The program is not a private organization and 
is not operated by a private organization.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chapter 9 
of title 14, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 952 the following: 
‘‘953. Support for Coast Guard Academy. 
‘‘954. Mixed-funded athletic and recreational extracurricular programs.’’. 
SEC. 11251. TRAINING FOR CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS PER-
SONNEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 315 of title 14, United 
States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 315. Training for congressional affairs personnel 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall develop a 
training course, which shall be administered in person, on the 
workings of Congress for any member of the Coast Guard se-
lected for a position as a fellow, liaison, counsel, or adminis-
trative staff for the Coast Guard Office of Congressional and 
Governmental Affairs or as any Coast Guard district or area 
governmental affairs officer. 
‘‘(b) COURSE SUBJECT MATTER.—
3853 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The training course required 
under this section shall provide an overview and intro-
duction to Congress and the Federal legislative process, 
including— 
‘‘(A) the congressional budget process; 
‘‘(B) the congressional appropriations process; 
‘‘(C) the congressional authorization process; 
‘‘(D) the Senate advice and consent process for 
Presidential nominees; 
‘‘(E) the Senate advice and consent process for 
treaty ratification; 
‘‘(F) the roles of Members of Congress and 
congressional staff in the legislative process; 
‘‘(G) the concept and underlying purposes of 
congressional oversight within the governance 
framework of separation of powers; 
‘‘(H) the roles of Coast Guard fellows, liaisons, 
counsels, governmental affairs officers, the Coast 
Guard Office of Program Review, the Coast Guard 
Headquarters program offices, and any other entity 
the Commandant considers relevant; and 
‘‘(I) the roles and responsibilities of Coast 
Guard public affairs and external communications 
personnel with respect to Members of Congress and 
the staff of such Members necessary to enhance
3854 
•HRES 1512 EH 
communication between Coast Guard units, sectors, 
and districts and Member offices and committees of 
jurisdiction so as to ensure visibility of Coast Guard 
activities. 
‘‘(2) DETAIL
WITHIN
COAST
GUARD
OFFICE
OF 
BUDGET AND PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—At the written request of 
a receiving congressional office, the training course 
required under this section shall include a multi-day 
detail within the Coast Guard Office of Budget and 
Programs to ensure adequate exposure to Coast 
Guard policy, oversight, and requests from Con-
gress. 
‘‘(B) NONCONSECUTIVE DETAIL PERMITTED.— 
A detail under this paragraph is not required to be 
consecutive with the balance of the training. 
‘‘(c) COMPLETION OF REQUIRED TRAINING.—A member 
of the Coast Guard selected for a position described in sub-
section (a) shall complete the training required by this section 
before the date on which such member reports for duty for 
such position.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chapter 3 
of title 14, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
item relating to section 315 and inserting the following: 
‘‘315. Training for congressional affairs personnel.’’.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
SEC. 11252. STRATEGY FOR RETENTION OF CUTTERMEN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall publish 
a strategy to improve incentives to attract and retain a quali-
fied workforce serving on Coast Guard cutters that includes 
underrepresented minorities, and servicemembers from rural 
areas, as such term is defined in section 54301(a)(12)(C) of 
title 46, United States Code. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required by subsection 
(a) shall include the following: 
(1) Policies to improve flexibility in the afloat ca-
reer path, including a policy that enables members of the 
Coast Guard serving on Coast Guard cutters to transi-
tion between operations afloat and operations ashore as-
signments without detriment to the career progression of 
a member. 
(2) A review of current officer requirements for 
afloat assignments at each pay grade, and an assessment 
as to whether such requirements are appropriate or 
present undue limitations. 
(3) Strategies to improve crew comfort afloat, such 
as berthing modifications to accommodate all crew-
members. 
(4) Actionable steps to improve access to highspeed 
internet capable of video conference for the purposes of
3856 
•HRES 1512 EH 
medical, educational, and personal use by members of 
the Coast Guard serving on Coast Guard cutters. 
(5) An assessment of the effectiveness of bonuses to 
attract members to serve at sea and retain talented 
members of the Coast Guard serving on Coast Guard 
cutters to serve as leaders in senior enlisted positions, 
department head positions, and command positions. 
(6) Policies to ensure that high-performing mem-
bers of the Coast Guard serving on Coast Guard cutters 
are competitive for special assignments, postgraduate 
education, senior service schools, and other career-en-
hancing positions. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The Commandant shall 
ensure that the elements described in subsection (b) do not 
result in discrimination based on race, color, religion, sexual 
orientation, national origin, or gender. 
SEC. 11253. STUDY ON PERFORMANCE OF COAST GUARD FORCE 
READINESS COMMAND. 
(a) 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 the performance of 
the Coast Guard Force Readiness Command. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study required under subsection 
(a) shall include an assessment of the following:
3857 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(1) The actions the Force Readiness Command has 
taken to develop and implement training for the Coast 
Guard workforce. 
(2) The extent to which the Force Readiness Com-
mand— 
(A) has made an assessment of performance, 
policy, and training compliance across Force Readi-
ness Command headquarters and field units, and 
the results of any such assessment; and 
(B) is modifying and expanding Coast Guard 
training to match the future demands of the Coast 
Guard with respect to growth in workforce num-
bers, modernization of assets and infrastructure, 
and increased global mission demands relating to 
the Arctic and Western Pacific regions and cyber-
space. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the study re-
quired by subsection (a) commences, the Comptroller General 
shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 
a report on the findings of the study.
3858 
•HRES 1512 EH 
SEC. 11254. STUDY ON FREQUENCY OF WEAPONS TRAINING FOR 
COAST GUARD PERSONNEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall conduct a 
study to assess whether current weapons training required for 
Coast Guard law enforcement and other relevant personnel is 
sufficient. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study required under subsection 
(a) shall— 
(1) assess whether there is a need to improve weap-
ons training for Coast Guard law enforcement and other 
relevant personnel; and 
(2) identify— 
(A) the frequency of such training most likely 
to ensure adequate weapons training, proficiency, 
and safety among such personnel; 
(B) Coast Guard law enforcement and other 
applicable personnel who should be prioritized to re-
ceive such improved training; and 
(C) any challenge posed by a transition to im-
proving such training and offering such training 
more frequently, and the resources necessary to ad-
dress such a challenge. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of en-
actment of this Act, the Commandant shall submit to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
3859 
•HRES 1512 EH 
ture of the House of Representatives a report on the findings 
of the study conducted under subsection (a). 
Subtitle G—Miscellaneous Provisions 
SEC. 11255. MODIFICATION OF PROHIBITION ON OPERATION OR 
PROCUREMENT OF FOREIGN-MADE UNMANNED 
AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS. 
Section 8414 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry Na-
tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Pub-
lic Law 116–283; 14 U.S.C. 1156 note) is amended— 
(1) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) EXEMPTION.—The Commandant is exempt from 
the restriction under subsection (a) if the operation or pro-
curement is for the purposes of— 
‘‘(1) counter-UAS system surrogate testing and 
training; or 
‘‘(2) intelligence, electronic warfare, and informa-
tion warfare operations, testing, analysis, and training.’’; 
(2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) WAIVER.—The Commandant may waive the restric-
tion under subsection (a) on a case-by-case basis by certifying 
in writing not later than 15 days after exercising such waiver 
to the Department of Homeland Security, the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives that the operation or procurement
3860 
•HRES 1512 EH 
of a covered unmanned aircraft system is required in the na-
tional interest of the United States.’’; 
(3) in subsection (d)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(1) COVERED FOREIGN COUNTRY.—The term ‘cov-
ered foreign country’ means any of the following: 
‘‘(A) The People’s Republic of China. 
‘‘(B) The Russian Federation. 
‘‘(C) The Islamic Republic of Iran. 
‘‘(D) The Democratic People’s Republic of 
Korea.’’; 
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 
paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) COVERED
UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT
SYSTEM.— 
The term ‘covered unmanned aircraft system’ means an 
unmanned aircraft system described in paragraph (1) of 
subsection (a).’’; and 
(D) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, by 
inserting ‘‘, and any related services and equip-
ment’’ after ‘‘United States Code’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following:
3861 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(e) REPLACEMENT.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of the Don Young Coast Guard Au-
thorization Act of 2022, the Commandant shall replace cov-
ered unmanned aircraft systems of the Coast Guard with un-
manned aircraft systems manufactured in the United States 
or an allied country (as that term is defined in section 
2350f(d)(1) of title 10, United States Code).’’. 
SEC. 11256. BUDGETING OF COAST GUARD RELATING TO CER-
TAIN OPERATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 51 of title 14, United States 
Code, is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 5114. Expenses of performing and executing defense 
readiness missions 
‘‘Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this section, and every February 1 thereafter, the Com-
mandant shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report that adequately represents a calculation 
of the annual costs and expenditures of performing and exe-
cuting all defense readiness mission activities, including— 
‘‘(1) all expenses related to the Coast Guard’s co-
ordination, training, and execution of defense readiness 
mission activities in the Coast Guard’s capacity as an 
armed force (as such term is defined in section 101 of
3862 
•HRES 1512 EH 
title 10) in support of Department of Defense national 
security operations and activities or for any other mili-
tary department or Defense Agency (as such terms are 
defined in such section); 
‘‘(2) costs associated with Coast Guard detachments 
assigned in support of the defense readiness mission of 
the Coast Guard; and 
‘‘(3) any other related expenses, costs, or matters 
the Commandant considers appropriate or otherwise of 
interest to Congress.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chapter 
51 of title 14, United States Code, as amended by section 
252(b), is further amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘5114. Expenses of performing and executing defense readiness missions.’’. 
SEC. 11257. REPORT ON SAN DIEGO MARITIME DOMAIN AWARE-
NESS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report containing— 
(1) an overview of the maritime domain awareness 
in the area of responsibility of the Coast Guard sector 
responsible for San Diego, California, including—
3863 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(A) the average volume of known maritime 
traffic that transited the area during fiscal years 
2020 through 2022; 
(B) current sensor platforms deployed by such 
sector to monitor illicit activity occurring at sea in 
such area; 
(C) the number of illicit activity incidents at 
sea in such area that the sector responded to during 
fiscal years 2020 through 2022; 
(D) an estimate of the volume of traffic en-
gaged in illicit activity at sea in such area and the 
type and description of any vessels used to carry 
out illicit activities that such sector responded to 
during fiscal years 2020 through 2022; and 
(E) the maritime domain awareness require-
ments to effectively meet the mission of such sector; 
(2) a description of current actions taken by the 
Coast Guard to partner with Federal, regional, State, 
and local entities to meet the maritime domain aware-
ness needs of such area; 
(3) a description of any gaps in maritime domain 
awareness within the area of responsibility of such sector 
resulting from an inability to meet the enduring mari-
time domain awareness requirements of the sector or 
adequately respond to maritime disorder;
3864 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(4) an identification of current technology and as-
sets the Coast Guard has to mitigate the gaps identified 
in paragraph (3); 
(5) an identification of capabilities needed to miti-
gate such gaps, including any capabilities the Coast 
Guard currently possesses that can be deployed to the 
sector; 
(6) an identification of technology and assets the 
Coast Guard does not currently possess and are needed 
to acquire in order to address such gaps; and 
(7) an identification of any financial obstacles that 
prevent the Coast Guard from deploying existing com-
mercially available sensor technology to address such 
gaps. 
SEC. 11258. CONVEYANCE OF COAST GUARD VESSELS FOR PUB-
LIC PURPOSES. 
(a) TRANSFER.—Section 914 of the Coast Guard Au-
thorization Act of 2010 (14 U.S.C. 501 note; Public Law 
111–281) is— 
(1) transferred to subchapter I of chapter 5 of title 
14, United States Code; 
(2) added at the end so as to follow section 509 of 
such title, as added by this Act; 
(3) redesignated as section 510 of such title; and
3865 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(4) amended so that the enumerator, the section 
heading, typeface, and typestyle conform to those ap-
pearing in other sections of title 14, United States Code. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010.— 
The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Coast Guard 
Authorization Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–281) is 
amended by striking the item relating to section 914. 
(2) TITLE 14.—The analysis for subchapter I of 
chapter 5 of title 14, United States Code, is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘510. Conveyance of Coast Guard vessels for public purposes.’’. 
(c) CONVEYANCE OF COAST GUARD VESSELS FOR PUB-
LIC PURPOSES.—Section 510 of title 14, United States Code, 
as transferred and redesignated by subsection (a), is amend-
ed— 
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—On request by the Commandant, 
the Administrator of the General Services Administration 
may transfer ownership of a Coast Guard vessel or aircraft 
to an eligible entity for educational, cultural, historical, chari-
table, recreational, or other public purposes if such transfer 
is authorized by law.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)—
3866 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(i) by inserting ‘‘as if the request were 
being processed’’ after ‘‘vessels’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘, as in effect on the date 
of the enactment of the Don Young Coast 
Guard Authorization Act of 2022’’ after ‘‘Code 
of Federal Regulations’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2) by inserting ‘‘, as in ef-
fect on the date of the enactment of the Don Young 
Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022’’ after 
‘‘such title’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘of the Coast 
Guard’’. 
SEC. 11259. NATIONAL COAST GUARD MUSEUM FUNDING PLAN. 
Section 316(c)(4) of title 14, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘the Inspector General of the depart-
ment in which the Coast Guard is operating’’ and inserting 
‘‘a third party entity qualified to undertake such a certifi-
cation process’’. 
SEC. 11260. REPORT ON COAST GUARD EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE 
DISPOSAL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall submit to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the vi-
3867 
•HRES 1512 EH 
ability of establishing an explosive ordnance disposal program 
(in this section referred to as the ‘‘Program’’) in the Coast 
Guard. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report required under subsection 
(a) shall contain, at a minimum, an explanation of the fol-
lowing with respect to such a Program: 
(1) Where within the organizational structure of the 
Coast Guard the Program would be located, including a 
discussion of whether the Program should reside in— 
(A) Maritime Safety and Security Teams; 
(B) Maritime Security Response Teams; 
(C) a combination of the teams described 
under subparagraphs (A) and (B); or 
(D) elsewhere within the Coast Guard. 
(2) The vehicles and dive craft that are Coast 
Guard airframe and vessel transportable that would be 
required for the transportation of explosive ordnance dis-
posal elements. 
(3) The Coast Guard stations at which— 
(A) portable explosives storage magazines 
would be available for explosive ordnance disposal 
elements; and 
(B) explosive ordnance disposal elements equip-
ment would be pre-positioned.
3868 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(4) How the Program would support other elements 
within the Department of Homeland Security, the De-
partment of Justice, and, in wartime, the Department of 
Defense to— 
(A) counter improvised explosive devices; 
(B) counter unexploded ordnance; 
(C) combat weapons of destruction; 
(D) provide service in support of the President; 
and 
(E) support national security special events. 
(5) The career progression of members of the Coast 
Guard participating in the Program from— 
(A) Seaman Recruit to Command Master Chief 
Petty Officer; 
(B) Chief Warrant Officer 2 to that of Chief 
Warrant Officer 4; and 
(C) Ensign to that of Rear Admiral. 
(6) Initial and annual budget justification estimates 
on a single program element of the Program for— 
(A) civilian and military pay with details on 
military pay, including special and incentive pays 
such as— 
(i) officer responsibility pay; 
(ii) officer SCUBA diving duty pay; 
(iii) officer demolition hazardous duty pay;
3869 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(iv) enlisted SCUBA diving duty pay; 
(v) enlisted demolition hazardous duty 
pay; 
(vi) enlisted special duty assignment pay 
at level special duty-5; 
(vii) enlisted assignment incentive pays; 
(viii) enlistment and reenlistment bonuses; 
(ix) officer and enlisted full civilian cloth-
ing allowances; 
(x) an exception to the policy allowing a 
third hazardous duty pay for explosive ord-
nance disposal-qualified officers and enlisted; 
and 
(xi) parachutist hazardous duty pay; 
(B) research, development, test, and evalua-
tion; 
(C) procurement; 
(D) other transaction agreements; 
(E) operations and support; and 
(F) overseas contingency operations. 
SEC. 11261. TRANSFER AND CONVEYANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT.—In accordance with section 
120(h) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9620(h)),
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•HRES 1512 EH 
the Commandant shall, without consideration, transfer 
in accordance with subsection (b) and convey in accord-
ance with subsection (c) a parcel of the real property de-
scribed in paragraph (2), including any improvements 
thereon. 
(2) PROPERTY.—The property described in this 
paragraph is real property at Dauphin Island, Alabama, 
located at 100 Agassiz Street, and consisting of a total 
of approximately 35.63 acres. The exact acreage and 
legal description of the parcel of such property to be 
transferred or conveyed in accordance with subsection 
(b) or (c), respectively, shall be determined by a survey 
satisfactory to the Commandant. 
(b) TO
THE SECRETARY
OF HEALTH
AND HUMAN 
SERVICES.—The Commandant shall transfer, as described in 
subsection (a), to the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), for use 
by the Food and Drug Administration, custody and control 
of a portion, consisting of approximately 4 acres, of the par-
cel of real property described in such subsection, to be identi-
fied by agreement between the Commandant and the Sec-
retary. 
(c) TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA.—The Commandant 
shall convey, as described in subsection (a), to the Marine 
Environmental Sciences Consortium, a unit of the govern-
3871 
•HRES 1512 EH 
ment of the State of Alabama, located at Dauphin Island, 
Alabama, all rights, title, and interest of the United States 
in and to such portion of the parcel described in such sub-
section that is not transferred to the Secretary under sub-
section (b). 
(d) PAYMENTS AND COSTS OF TRANSFER AND CONVEY-
ANCE.— 
(1) PAYMENTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall pay 
costs to be incurred by the Coast Guard, or reim-
burse the Coast Guard for such costs incurred by 
the Coast Guard, to carry out the transfer and con-
veyance required by this section, including survey 
costs, appraisal costs, costs for environmental docu-
mentation related to the transfer and conveyance, 
and any other necessary administrative costs related 
to the transfer and conveyance. 
(B) FUNDS.—Notwithstanding section 780 of 
division B of the Further Consolidated Appropria-
tions Act, 2020 (Public Law 116–94), any amounts 
that are made available to the Secretary under such 
section and not obligated on the date of enactment 
of this Act shall be available to the Secretary for 
the purpose described in subparagraph (A).
3873 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(B) making or awarding a contract, other 
transaction agreement, or task or delivery order for 
the Coast Guard on the multiple award contract, or 
issuing a letter of intent totaling more than 
$4,000,000; 
‘‘(C) awarding a task or delivery order requir-
ing an obligation of funds in an amount greater 
than $10,000,000 from multi-year Coast Guard 
funds; 
‘‘(D) making a sole-source grant award; or 
‘‘(E) announcing publicly the intention to make 
or award an item described in subparagraph (A), 
(B), (C), or (D), including a contract covered by the 
Federal Acquisition Regulation. 
‘‘(2) ELEMENT.—A notification under this sub-
section shall include— 
‘‘(A) the amount of the award; 
‘‘(B) the fiscal year for which the funds for the 
award were appropriated; 
‘‘(C) the type of contract; 
‘‘(D) an identification of the entity awarded 
the contract, such as the name and location of the 
entity; and 
‘‘(E) the account from which the funds are to 
be drawn.
3874 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTION.—If the Commandant determines that 
compliance with subsection (a) would pose a substantial risk 
to human life, health, or safety, the Commandant— 
‘‘(1) may make an award or issue a letter described 
in such subsection without the notification required 
under such subsection; and 
‘‘(2) shall notify the appropriate committees of Con-
gress not later than 5 full business days after such an 
award is made or letter issued. 
‘‘(c) APPLICABILITY.—Subsection (a) shall not apply to 
funds that are not available for obligation. 
‘‘(d) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES
OF CONGRESS DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘appropriate committees of 
Congress’ means— 
‘‘(1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate; and 
‘‘(2) the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chapter 
51 of title 14, United States Code, is further amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘5115. Major grants, contracts, or other transactions.’’.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
SEC. 11263. STUDY ON SAFETY INSPECTION PROGRAM FOR 
CONTAINERS AND FACILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall complete a 
study on the safety inspection program for containers (as 
such term is defined in section 80501 of title 46, United 
States Code) and designated waterfront facilities receiving 
containers. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study required under subsection 
(a) shall include the following: 
(1) An evaluation and review of such safety inspec-
tion program. 
(2) A determination of— 
(A) the number of container inspections con-
ducted annually by the Coast Guard during the pre-
ceding 10-year period, as compared to the number 
of containers moved through United States ports 
annually during such period; and 
(B) the number of qualified Coast Guard con-
tainer and facility inspectors, and an assessment as 
to whether, during the preceding 10-year period, 
there have been a sufficient number of such inspec-
tors to carry out the mission of the Coast Guard. 
(3) An evaluation of the training programs available 
to such inspectors and the adequacy of such training 
programs during the preceding 10-year period.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(4) An identification of areas of improvement for 
such program in the interest of commerce and national 
security, and the costs associated with such improve-
ments. 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the completion of the study required under subsection 
(a), the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on Com-
merce, 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 required by subsection (a), including the personnel and 
resource requirements necessary for such program. 
SEC. 11264. OPERATIONAL DATA SHARING CAPABILITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, consistent 
with the ongoing Integrated Multi-Domain Enterprise joint 
effort by the Department of Homeland Security and the De-
partment of Defense, establish a secure, centralized capability 
to allow real-time, or near real-time, data and information 
sharing between Customs and Border Protection and the 
Coast Guard for purposes of maritime boundary domain 
awareness and enforcement activities along the maritime 
boundaries of the United States, including the maritime 
boundaries in the northern and southern continental United 
States and Alaska.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(b) PRIORITY.—In establishing the capability under sub-
section (a), the Secretary shall prioritize enforcement areas 
experiencing the highest levels of enforcement activity. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS.—The capability established under 
subsection (a) shall be sufficient for the secure sharing of 
data, information, and surveillance necessary for operational 
missions, including data from governmental assets, irrespec-
tive of whether an asset located in or around mission oper-
ation areas belongs to the Coast Guard, Customs and Border 
Protection, or any other partner agency. 
(d) ELEMENTS.—The Commissioner of Customs and 
Border Protection and the Commandant shall jointly— 
(1) assess and delineate the types of data and qual-
ity of data sharing needed to meet the respective oper-
ational missions of Customs and Border Protection and 
the Coast Guard, including video surveillance, seismic 
sensors, infrared detection, space-based remote sensing, 
and any other data or information necessary; 
(2) develop appropriate requirements and processes 
for the credentialing of personnel of Customs and Bor-
der Protection and personnel of the Coast Guard to ac-
cess and use the capability established under subsection 
(a); and
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(3) establish a cost-sharing agreement for the long- 
term operation and maintenance of the capability and 
the assets that provide data to the capability. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure and the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
House of Representatives a report on the establishment of 
the capability under this section. 
(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section 
may be construed to authorize the Coast Guard, Customs and 
Border Protection, or any other partner agency to acquire, 
share, or transfer personal information relating to an indi-
vidual in violation of any Federal or State law or regulation. 
SEC. 11265. FEASIBILITY STUDY ON CONSTRUCTION OF COAST 
GUARD STATION AT PORT MANSFIELD. 
(a) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commandant 
shall commence a feasibility study on construction of a 
Coast Guard station at Port Mansfield, Texas. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The study required under para-
graph (1) shall include the following:
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(A) An assessment of the resources and work-
force requirements necessary for a new Coast 
Guard station at Port Mansfield. 
(B) An identification of the enhancements to 
the missions and capabilities of the Coast Guard 
that a new Coast Guard station at Port Mansfield 
would provide. 
(C) An estimate of the life-cycle costs of such 
a facility, including the costs of construction, main-
tenance costs, and staffing costs. 
(D) A cost-benefit analysis of the enhance-
ments and capabilities provided, as compared to the 
costs of construction, maintenance, and staffing. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after com-
mencing the study required by subsection (a), the Com-
mandant shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the findings of the study. 
SEC. 11266. PROCUREMENT OF TETHERED AEROSTAT RADAR 
SYSTEM FOR COAST GUARD STATION SOUTH 
PADRE ISLAND. 
Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Sec-
retary shall procure not fewer than 1 tethered aerostat radar
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•HRES 1512 EH 
system, or similar technology, for use by the Coast Guard at 
and around Coast Guard Station South Padre Island. 
SEC. 11267. PROHIBITION ON MAJOR ACQUISITION CONTRACTS 
WITH ENTITIES ASSOCIATED WITH CHINESE COM-
MUNIST PARTY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant may not award 
any major acquisition contract until the Commandant re-
ceives a certification from the party that it has not, during 
the 10-year period preceding the planned date of award, di-
rectly or indirectly held an economic interest in an entity that 
is— 
(1) owned or controlled by the People’s Republic of 
China; and 
(2) part of the defense industry of the Chinese 
Communist Party. 
(b) INAPPLICABILITY TO TAIWAN.—Subsection (a) shall 
not apply with respect to an economic interest in an entity 
owned or controlled by Taiwan. 
SEC. 11268. REVIEW OF DRUG INTERDICTION EQUIPMENT AND 
STANDARDS; TESTING FOR FENTANYL DURING 
INTERDICTION OPERATIONS. 
(a) REVIEW.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant, in consulta-
tion with the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement
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•HRES 1512 EH 
Administration and the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, shall— 
(A) conduct a review of— 
(i) the equipment, testing kits, and rescue 
medications used to conduct Coast Guard drug 
interdiction operations; and 
(ii) the safety and training standards, 
policies, and procedures with respect to such 
operations; and 
(B) determine whether the Coast Guard is 
using the latest equipment and technology and up- 
to-date training and standards for recognizing, han-
dling, testing, and securing illegal drugs, fentanyl 
and other synthetic opioids, and precursor chemi-
cals during such operations. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall 
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a re-
port on the results of the review conducted under para-
graph (1). 
(3) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE-
FINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appropriate com-
mittees of Congress’’ means—
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the Committee on Appropria-
tions of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure and the Committee on Appropriations 
of the House of Representatives. 
(b) REQUIREMENT.—If, as a result of the review re-
quired by subsection (a), the Commandant determines that 
the Coast Guard is not using the latest equipment and tech-
nology and up-to-date training and standards for recognizing, 
handling, testing, and securing illegal drugs, fentanyl and 
other synthetic opioids, and precursor chemicals during drug 
interdiction operations, the Commandant shall ensure that 
the Coast Guard acquires and uses such equipment and tech-
nology, carries out such training, and implements such stand-
ards. 
(c) TESTING FOR FENTANYL.—The Commandant shall 
ensure that Coast Guard drug interdiction operations include 
the testing of substances encountered during such operations 
for fentanyl, as appropriate. 
SEC. 
11269. 
PUBLIC 
AVAILABILITY 
OF 
INFORMATION 
ON 
MONTHLY MIGRANT INTERDICTIONS. 
Not later than the 15th day of each month, the Com-
mandant shall make available to the public on the website of
3883 
•HRES 1512 EH 
the Coast Guard the number of migrant interdictions carried 
out by the Coast Guard during the preceding month. 
SEC. 11270. CARGO WAITING TIME REDUCTION. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report that includes— 
(1) an explanation of the extent to which vessels 
carrying cargo are complying with the requirements of 
chapter 700 of title 46, United States Code; 
(2) the status of the investigation on the cause of 
the oil spill that occurred in October 2021 on the waters 
over the San Pedro Shelf related to an anchor strike, in-
cluding the expected date on which the Marine Casualty 
Investigation Report with respect to such spill will be re-
leased; and 
(3) with respect to such vessels, a summary of ac-
tions taken or planned to be taken by the Commandant 
to provide additional protections against oil spills or 
other hazardous discharges caused by anchor strikes. 
SEC. 11271. STUDY ON COAST GUARD OVERSIGHT AND INVES-
TIGATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
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•HRES 1512 EH 
United States shall commence a study to assess the oversight 
over Coast Guard activities, including investigations, per-
sonnel management, whistleblower protection, and other ac-
tivities carried out by the Department of Homeland Security 
Office of Inspector General. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study required under subsection 
(a) shall include the following: 
(1) An analysis of the ability of the Department of 
Homeland Security Office of Inspector General to ensure 
timely, thorough, complete, and appropriate oversight 
over the Coast Guard, including oversight over both civil-
ian and military activities. 
(2) An assessment of— 
(A) the best practices with respect to such 
oversight; and 
(B) the ability of the Department of Homeland 
Security Office of Inspector General and the Com-
mandant to identify and achieve such best practices. 
(3) An analysis of the methods, standards, and 
processes employed by the Department of Defense Office 
of Inspector General and the inspectors generals of the 
armed forces (as such term is defined in section 101 of 
title 10, United States Code), other than the Coast 
Guard, to conduct oversight and investigation activities.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(4) An analysis of the methods, standards, and 
processes of the Department of Homeland Security Of-
fice of Inspector General with respect to oversight over 
the civilian and military activities of the Coast Guard, as 
compared to the methods, standards, and processes de-
scribed in paragraph (3). 
(5) An assessment of the extent to which the Coast 
Guard Investigative Service completes investigations or 
other disciplinary measures after referral of complaints 
from the Department of Homeland Security Office of In-
spector General. 
(6) A description of the staffing, expertise, training, 
and other resources of the Department of Homeland Se-
curity Office of Inspector General, and an assessment as 
to whether such staffing, expertise, training, and other 
resources meet the requirements necessary for meaning-
ful, timely, and effective oversight over the activities of 
the Coast Guard. 
(c) 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 Rep-
resentatives a report on the findings of the study, including
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•HRES 1512 EH 
recommendations with respect to oversight over Coast Guard 
activities. 
(d) OTHER REVIEWS.—The study required under sub-
section (a) may rely upon recently completed or ongoing re-
views by the Comptroller General or other entities, as applica-
ble. 
Subtitle H—Sexual Assault and Sex-
ual Harassment Response and Pre-
vention 
SEC. 11272. ADMINISTRATION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT FORENSIC 
EXAMINATION KITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter IV of chapter 5 of title 
14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘§ 564. Administration of sexual assault forensic exam-
ination kits 
‘‘(a) SEXUAL ASSAULT FORENSIC EXAM PROCEDURE.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Before embarking on any 
prescheduled voyage, a Coast Guard vessel shall have in 
place a written operating procedure that ensures that an 
embarked victim of sexual assault shall have access to a 
sexual assault forensic examination— 
‘‘(A) as soon as possible after the victim re-
quests an examination; and
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•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(B) that is treated with the same level of ur-
gency as emergency medical care. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The written operating pro-
cedure required by paragraph (1), shall, at a minimum, 
account for— 
‘‘(A) the health, safety, and privacy of a victim 
of sexual assault; 
‘‘(B) the proximity of ashore or afloat medical 
facilities, including coordination as necessary with 
the Department of Defense, including other military 
departments (as defined in section 101 of title 10); 
‘‘(C) the availability of aeromedical evacuation; 
‘‘(D) the operational capabilities of the vessel 
concerned; 
‘‘(E) the qualifications of medical personnel 
onboard; 
‘‘(F) coordination with law enforcement and 
the preservation of evidence; 
‘‘(G) the means of accessing a sexual assault 
forensic examination and medical care with a re-
stricted report of sexual assault; 
‘‘(H) the availability of nonprescription preg-
nancy prophylactics; and 
‘‘(I) other unique military considerations.’’.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chapter 5 
of title 14, United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 563 the following: 
‘‘564. Administration of sexual assault forensic examination kits.’’. 
(c) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
seek to enter into an agreement with the National Acad-
emy of Sciences under which the National Academy of 
Sciences shall conduct a study to assess challenges and 
prospective solutions associated with sexual assault at 
sea, to include the provision of survivor care, forensic ex-
amination of the victim, and evidence collection. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The study under paragraph (1) 
shall, at a minimum, address the feasibility of crisis re-
sponse services and physical evaluation through tele-
medicine and other options concerning immediate access 
to care whether onboard the vessel or at the nearest 
shore side facility, including best practices for admin-
istering sexual assault forensic examinations. 
(3) ELEMENTS.—The study under paragraph (1) 
shall— 
(A) take into account— 
(i) the safety and security of the alleged 
victim of sexual assault;
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(ii) the ability to properly identify, docu-
ment, and preserve any evidence relevant to 
the allegation of sexual assault; 
(iii) the applicable criminal procedural 
laws relating to authenticity, relevance, preser-
vation of evidence, chain of custody, and any 
other matter relating to evidentiary admissi-
bility; and 
(iv) best practices of conducting sexual as-
sault forensic examinations, as such term is de-
fined in section 40723 of title 34, United 
States Code; 
(B) provide any appropriate recommendation 
for changes to existing laws, regulations, or em-
ployer policies; 
(C) solicit public stakeholder input from indi-
viduals and organizations with relevant expertise in 
sexual assault response including healthcare, advo-
cacy services, law enforcement, and prosecution; 
(D) evaluate the operational capabilities of the 
Coast Guard since 2013 in providing alleged victims 
of sexual assault immediate access to care onboard 
a vessel undertaking a prescheduled voyage that, at 
any point during such voyage, would require the 
vessel to travel 3 consecutive days or longer to
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•HRES 1512 EH 
reach a land-based or afloat medical facility, includ-
ing— 
(i) the average of and range in the re-
ported hours taken to evacuate an individual 
with any medical emergency to a land-based or 
afloat medical facility; and 
(ii) the number of alleged victims, sub-
jects, and total incidents of sexual assault and 
sexual harassment occurring while underway 
reported annually; and 
(E) summarize the financial cost, required 
operational adjustments, and potential benefits to 
the Coast Guard to provide sexual assault forensic 
examination kits onboard Coast Guard vessels un-
dertaking a prescheduled voyage that, at any point 
during such voyage, would require the vessel to 
travel 3 consecutive days or longer to reach a land- 
based or afloat medical facility. 
(4) REPORT.—Upon completion of the study under 
paragraph (1), the National Academy of Sciences shall 
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure of the House of Represent-
atives, and the Secretary a report on the findings of the 
study.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(5) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Commandant shall sub-
mit to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee 
of the House and the Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation Committee of the Senate a report containing the 
number of sexual assault forensic examinations that 
were requested by, but not administered within 3 days 
to, alleged victims of sexual assault when such victims 
were onboard a vessel. 
(6) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—In collecting the information 
required under paragraphs (2) and (3), the Com-
mandant shall collect such information in a manner 
which protects the privacy rights of individuals who are 
subjects of such information. 
SEC. 11273. POLICY ON REQUESTS FOR PERMANENT CHANGES 
OF STATION OR UNIT TRANSFERS BY PERSONS 
WHO REPORT BEING THE VICTIM OF SEXUAL AS-
SAULT. 
(a) INTERIM UPDATE.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant, in consulta-
tion with the Director of the Health, Safety, and Work Life 
Directorate, shall issue an interim update to Coast Guard 
policy guidance to allow a member of the Coast Guard who 
has reported being the victim of a sexual assault, or any 
other offense covered by section 920, 920c, or 930 of title 10, 
United States Code (article 120, 120c, or 130 of the Uniform
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•HRES 1512 EH 
Code of Military Justice), to request an immediate change of 
station or an immediate unit transfer. 
(b) FINAL POLICY.—The Commandant shall issue a 
final policy based on the interim updates issued under the 
preceding sentence not later than 1 year after the date of en-
actment of this Act. 
SEC. 11274. SEX OFFENSES AND PERSONNEL RECORDS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Commandant shall issue final regulations or pol-
icy guidance required to fully implement section 1745 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 
(Public Law 113–66; 10 U.S.C. 1561 note) with respect to 
members of the Coast Guard. 
SEC. 11275. STUDY ON SPECIAL VICTIMS’ COUNSEL PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall enter into an 
agreement with a federally funded research and development 
center for the conduct of a study on— 
(1) the Special Victims’ Counsel program of the 
Coast Guard; 
(2) Coast Guard investigations of sexual assault of-
fenses for cases in which the subject of the investigation 
is no longer under jeopardy for the alleged misconduct 
for reasons including the death of the accused, a lapse 
in the statute of limitations for the alleged offense, and
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•HRES 1512 EH 
a fully adjudicated criminal trial of the alleged offense 
in which all appeals have been exhausted; and 
(3) legal support and representation provided to 
members of the Coast Guard who are victims of sexual 
assault, including in instances in which the accused is a 
member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or 
Space Force. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study required by subsection (a) 
shall assess the following: 
(1) The Special Victims’ Counsel program of the 
Coast Guard, including training, effectiveness, capacity 
to handle the number of cases referred, and experience 
with cases involving members of the Coast Guard or 
members of another armed force (as defined in section 
101 of title 10, United States Code). 
(2) The experience of Special Victims’ Counsels in 
representing members of the Coast Guard during a 
court-martial. 
(3) Policies concerning the availability and detailing 
of Special Victims’ Counsels for sexual assault allega-
tions, in particular such allegations in which the accused 
is a member of another armed force (as defined in sec-
tion 101 of title 10, United States Code), and the im-
pact that the cross-service relationship had on—
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(A) the competence and sufficiency of services 
provided to the alleged victim; and 
(B) the interaction between— 
(i) the investigating agency and the Spe-
cial Victims’ Counsels; and 
(ii) the prosecuting entity and the Special 
Victims’ Counsels. 
(4) Training provided to, or made available for, 
Special Victims’ Counsels and paralegals with respect to 
Department of Defense processes for conducting sexual 
assault investigations and Special Victims’ Counsel rep-
resentation of sexual assault victims. 
(5) The ability of Special Victims’ Counsels to oper-
ate independently without undue influence from third 
parties, including the command of the accused, the com-
mand of the victim, the Judge Advocate General of the 
Coast Guard, and the Deputy Judge Advocate General 
of the Coast Guard. 
(6) The skill level and experience of Special Victims’ 
Counsels, as compared to special victims’ counsels avail-
able to members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine 
Corps, and Space Force. 
(7) Policies regarding access to an alternate Special 
Victims’ Counsel, if requested by the member of the
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•HRES 1512 EH 
Coast Guard concerned, and potential improvements for 
such policies. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after entering 
into an agreement under subsection (a), the federally funded 
research and development center shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives a report that includes— 
(1) the findings of the study required by such sub-
section; 
(2) recommendations to improve the coordination, 
training, and experience of Special Victims’ Counsels of 
the Coast Guard so as to improve outcomes for members 
of the Coast Guard who have reported sexual assault; 
and 
(3) any other recommendation the federally funded 
research and development center considers appropriate. 
TITLE CXIII—ENVIRONMENT 
Subtitle A—Marine Mammals 
SEC. 11301. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subtitle: 
(1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 
The 
term 
‘‘appropriate 
congressional 
committees’’ 
means—
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committees on Transportation and In-
frastructure and Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives. 
(2) CORE FORAGING HABITATS.—The term ‘‘core 
foraging habitats’’ means areas— 
(A) with biological and physical oceanographic 
features that aggregate Calanus finmarchicus; and 
(B) where North Atlantic right whales foraging 
aggregations have been well documented. 
(3) EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE.—The term ‘‘ex-
clusive economic zone’’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 107 of title 46, United States Code. 
(4) INSTITUTION
OF
HIGHER
EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 101(a) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(5) LARGE CETACEAN.—The term ‘‘large cetacean’’ 
means all endangered or threatened species within— 
(A) the suborder Mysticeti; 
(B) the genera Physeter; or 
(C) the genera Orcinus. 
(6) NEAR REAL-TIME.—The term ‘‘near real-time’’, 
with respect to monitoring of whales, means that visual,
3897 
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acoustic, or other detections of whales are processed, 
transmitted, and reported as close to the time of detec-
tion as is technically feasible. 
(7) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘‘non-
profit organization’’ means an organization that is de-
scribed in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of 
such Code. 
(8) PUGET
SOUND
REGION.—The term ‘‘Puget 
Sound region’’ means the Vessel Traffic Service Puget 
Sound area described in section 161.55 of title 33, Code 
of Federal Regulations (as of the date of enactment of 
this Act). 
(9) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal gov-
ernment’’ means the recognized governing body of any 
Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, vil-
lage, community, component band, or component res-
ervation, individually identified (including parentheti-
cally) in the list published most recently as of the date 
of enactment of this Act pursuant to section 104 of the 
Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 
U.S.C. 5131). 
(10) UNDER SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Under Sec-
retary’’ means the Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Oceans and Atmosphere.
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SEC. 11302. ASSISTANCE TO PORTS TO REDUCE IMPACTS OF 
VESSEL TRAFFIC AND PORT OPERATIONS ON MA-
RINE MAMMALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary, in con-
sultation with the Director of the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, and 
the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, shall es-
tablish a grant program to provide assistance to eligible enti-
ties to develop and implement mitigation measures that will 
lead to a quantifiable reduction in threats to marine mam-
mals from vessel traffic, including shipping activities and port 
operations. 
(b) ELIGIBLE USES.—Assistance provided under sub-
section (a) may be used to develop, assess, and carry out ac-
tivities that reduce threats to marine mammals by— 
(1) reducing underwater stressors related to marine 
traffic; 
(2) reducing mortality and serious injury from ves-
sel strikes and other physical disturbances; 
(3) monitoring sound; 
(4) reducing vessel interactions with marine mam-
mals; 
(5) conducting other types of monitoring that are 
consistent with reducing the threats to, and enhancing 
the habitats of, marine mammals; or
3899 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(6) supporting State agencies and Tribal govern-
ments in developing the capacity to receive assistance 
under this section through education, training, informa-
tion sharing, and collaboration to participate in the 
grant program under this section. 
(c) PRIORITY.—The Under Secretary shall prioritize pro-
viding assistance under subsection (a) for projects that— 
(1) are based on the best available science with re-
spect to methods to reduce threats to marine mammals; 
(2) collect data on the effects of such methods and 
the reduction of such threats; 
(3) assist ports that pose a higher relative threat to 
marine mammals listed as threatened or endangered 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.); 
(4) are in close proximity to areas in which threat-
ened or endangered cetaceans are known to experience 
other stressors; or 
(5) allow eligible entities to conduct risk assess-
ments and to track progress toward threat reduction. 
(d) OUTREACH.—The Under Secretary, in coordination 
with the Secretary, the Administrator of the Maritime Ad-
ministration, and the Director of the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service, as appropriate, shall conduct coordinated 
outreach to ports to provide information with respect to—
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(1) how to apply for assistance under subsection 
(a); 
(2) the benefits of such assistance; and 
(3) facilitation of best practices and lessons, includ-
ing the best practices and lessons learned from activities 
carried out using such assistance. 
(e) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not less frequently than annu-
ally, the Under Secretary shall make available to the public 
on a publicly accessible website of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration a report that includes the fol-
lowing information: 
(1) The name and location of each entity to which 
assistance was awarded under subsection (a) during the 
year preceding submission of the report. 
(2) The amount of each such award. 
(3) A description of the activities carried out with 
each such award. 
(4) An estimate of the likely impact of such activi-
ties on the reduction of threats to marine mammals. 
(f) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(1) a port authority for a port; 
(2) a State, regional, local, or Tribal government, or 
an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian entity that has ju-
risdiction over a maritime port authority or a port;
3901 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(3) an academic institution, research institution, or 
nonprofit organization working in partnership with a 
port; or 
(4) a consortium of entities described in paragraphs 
(1) through (3). 
(g) FUNDING.—From funds otherwise appropriated to 
the Under Secretary, $10,000,000 is authorized to carry out 
this section for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028. 
(h) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—An activity may not be carried 
out under this section if the Secretary of Defense, in con-
sultation with the Under Secretary, determines that the activ-
ity would negatively impact the defense readiness or the na-
tional security of the United States. 
SEC. 11303. NEAR REAL-TIME MONITORING AND MITIGATION 
PROGRAM FOR LARGE CETACEANS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Under Secretary, in coordi-
nation with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, 
shall design and deploy a cost-effective, efficient, and results- 
oriented near real-time monitoring and mitigation program 
(referred to in this section as the ‘‘Program’’) for threatened 
or endangered cetaceans. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Program shall be to 
reduce the risk to large cetaceans posed by vessel collisions 
and to minimize other impacts on large cetaceans through the
3902 
•HRES 1512 EH 
use of near real-time location monitoring and location infor-
mation. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS.—The Program shall— 
(1) prioritize species of large cetaceans for which 
impacts from vessel collisions are of particular concern; 
(2) prioritize areas where such impacts are of par-
ticular concern; 
(3) be capable of detecting and alerting ocean users 
and enforcement agencies of the probable location of 
large cetaceans on an actionable real-time basis, includ-
ing through real-time data whenever possible; 
(4) inform sector-specific mitigation protocols to ef-
fectively reduce takes (as defined in section 216.3 of title 
50, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regula-
tions) of large cetaceans; 
(5) integrate technology improvements; and 
(6) be informed by technologies, monitoring meth-
ods, and mitigation protocols developed under the pilot 
project required under subsection (d). 
(d) PILOT PROJECT.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—In carrying out the Pro-
gram, the Under Secretary shall first establish a pilot 
monitoring and mitigation project (referred to in this 
section as the ‘‘pilot project’’) for North Atlantic right 
whales for the purposes of informing the Program.
3903 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In designing and deploying 
the pilot project, the Under Secretary, in coordination 
with the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall, 
using the best available scientific information, identify 
and ensure coverage of— 
(A) core foraging habitats; and 
(B) important feeding, breeding, calving, 
rearing, or migratory habitats of North Atlantic 
right whales that co-occur with areas of high risk 
of mortality or serious injury of such whales from 
vessels, vessel strikes, or disturbance. 
(3) COMPONENTS.—Not later than 3 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary, in 
consultation with relevant Federal agencies and Tribal 
governments, and with input from affected stakeholders, 
shall design and deploy a near real-time monitoring sys-
tem for North Atlantic right whales that— 
(A) comprises the best available detection 
power, spatial coverage, and survey effort to detect 
and localize North Atlantic right whales within 
habitats described in paragraph (2); 
(B) is capable of detecting North Atlantic right 
whales, including visually and acoustically; 
(C) uses dynamic habitat suitability models to 
inform the likelihood of North Atlantic right whale
3904 
•HRES 1512 EH 
occurrence habitats described in paragraph (2) at 
any given time; 
(D) coordinates with the Integrated Ocean Ob-
serving System of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration and Regional Ocean Partner-
ships to leverage monitoring assets; 
(E) integrates historical data; 
(F) integrates new near real-time monitoring 
methods and technologies as such methods and 
technologies become available; 
(G) accurately verifies and rapidly commu-
nicates detection data to appropriate ocean users; 
(H) creates standards for contributing, and al-
lows ocean users to contribute, data to the moni-
toring system using comparable near real-time mon-
itoring methods and technologies; 
(I) communicates the risks of injury to large 
cetaceans to ocean users in a manner that is most 
likely to result in informed decision-making regard-
ing the mitigation of those risks; and 
(J) minimizes additional stressors to large 
cetaceans as a result of the information available to 
ocean users. 
(4) REPORTS.— 
(A) PRELIMINARY REPORT.—
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Under Secretary shall submit to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate and the Committee on Natural Re-
sources of the House of Representatives, and 
make available to the public, a preliminary re-
port on the pilot project. 
(ii) ELEMENTS.—The report required 
under clause (i) shall include the following: 
(I) A description of the monitoring 
methods and technology in use or planned 
for deployment under the pilot project. 
(II) An analysis of the efficacy of the 
methods and technology in use or planned 
for deployment for detecting North Atlan-
tic right whales. 
(III) An assessment of the manner in 
which the monitoring system designed and 
deployed under this subsection is directly 
informing and improving the management, 
health, and survival of North Atlantic 
right whales. 
(IV) A prioritized identification of 
technology or research gaps.
3906 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(V) A plan to communicate the risks 
of injury to large cetaceans to ocean users 
in a manner that is most likely to result 
in informed decision making regarding the 
mitigation of such risks. 
(VI) Any other information on the 
potential benefits and efficacy of the pilot 
project the Under Secretary considers ap-
propriate. 
(B) FINAL REPORT.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Under Secretary, in coordination with the 
heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall 
submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives, and make available 
to the public, a final report on the pilot 
project. 
(ii) ELEMENTS.—The report required 
under clause (i) shall— 
(I) address the preliminary report re-
quired under subparagraph (A); and 
(II) include—
3907 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(aa) an assessment of the bene-
fits and efficacy of the pilot project; 
(bb) a strategic plan to expand 
the pilot project to provide near real- 
time monitoring and mitigation meas-
ures— 
(AA) to additional large 
cetaceans of concern for which 
such measures would reduce risk 
of serious injury or death; and 
(BB) in important feeding, 
breeding, calving, rearing, or mi-
gratory 
habitats 
of 
large 
cetaceans that co-occur with 
areas of high risk of mortality or 
serious injury from vessel strikes 
or disturbance; 
(cc) a budget and description of 
funds necessary to carry out such 
plan; 
(dd) a prioritized plan for acqui-
sition, deployment, and maintenance 
of monitoring technologies; and 
(ee) the locations or species to 
which such plan would apply.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(e) MITIGATION PROTOCOLS.—The Under Secretary, in 
consultation with the Secretary, the Secretary of Defense, the 
Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of the Inte-
rior, and with input from affected stakeholders, shall develop 
and deploy mitigation protocols that make use of any moni-
toring system designed and deployed under this section to di-
rect sector-specific mitigation measures that avoid and sig-
nificantly reduce risk of serious injury and mortality to North 
Atlantic right whales. 
(f) ACCESS TO DATA.—The Under Secretary shall pro-
vide access to data generated by any monitoring system de-
signed and deployed under this section for purposes of sci-
entific research and evaluation and public awareness and edu-
cation, including through the Right Whale Sighting Advisory 
System of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion and WhaleMap or other successor public website portals, 
subject to review for national security considerations. 
(g) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.—The Under Secretary 
may enter into and perform such contracts, leases, grants, or 
cooperative agreements as may be necessary to carry out this 
section on such terms as the Under Secretary considers ap-
propriate, consistent with the Federal Acquisition Regulation. 
(h) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—An activity may not be carried 
out under this section if the Secretary of Defense, in con-
sultation with the Under Secretary, determines that the activ-
3909 
•HRES 1512 EH 
ity would negatively impact the defense readiness or the na-
tional security of the United States. 
(i) FUNDING.—From funds otherwise appropriated to 
the Under Secretary $5,000,000 is authorized to support de-
velopment, deployment, application, and ongoing maintenance 
of the Program and to otherwise carry out this section for 
each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. 
SEC. 11304. PILOT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH A CETACEAN DESK 
FOR PUGET SOUND REGION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, with the 
concurrence of the Under Secretary, shall carry out a 
pilot program to establish a Cetacean Desk, which shall 
be— 
(A) located and manned within the Puget 
Sound Vessel Traffic Service; and 
(B) designed— 
(i) to improve coordination with the mari-
time industry to reduce the risk of vessel im-
pacts on large cetaceans, including impacts 
from vessel strikes, disturbances, and other 
sources; and 
(ii) to monitor the presence and location 
of large cetaceans during the months during
3910 
•HRES 1512 EH 
which such large cetaceans are present in 
Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and 
the United States portion of the Salish Sea. 
(2) DURATION AND STAFFING.—The pilot program 
required under paragraph (1)— 
(A) shall— 
(i) be for a duration of 4 years; and 
(ii) require not more than 1 full-time 
equivalent position, who shall also contribute to 
other necessary Puget Sound Vessel Traffic 
Service duties and responsibilities as needed; 
and 
(B) may be supported by other existing Fed-
eral employees, as appropriate. 
(b) ENGAGEMENT WITH VESSEL OPERATORS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot pro-
gram required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
require personnel of the Cetacean Desk to engage with 
vessel operators in areas where large cetaceans have 
been seen or could reasonably be present to ensure com-
pliance with applicable laws, regulations, and voluntary 
guidance, to reduce the impact of vessel traffic on large 
cetaceans. 
(2) CONTENTS.—In engaging with vessel operators 
as required under paragraph (1), personnel of the Ceta-
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•HRES 1512 EH 
cean Desk shall communicate where and when sightings 
of large cetaceans have occurred. 
(c) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—The Secretary 
and the Under Secretary may enter into a memorandum of 
understanding to facilitate real-time sharing of data relating 
to large cetaceans between the Quiet Sound program of the 
State of Washington, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, the Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service, and 
other relevant entities, as appropriate. 
(d) DATA.—The Under Secretary shall leverage existing 
data collection methods, the program required by section 
11303, and public data to ensure accurate and timely infor-
mation on the sighting of large cetaceans. 
(e) CONSULTATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot pro-
gram required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
consult with Tribal governments, the State of Wash-
ington, institutions of higher education, the maritime in-
dustry, ports in the Puget Sound region, and nongovern-
mental organizations. 
(2) COORDINATION WITH CANADA.—When appro-
priate, the Secretary shall coordinate with the Govern-
ment of Canada, consistent with policies and agreements 
relating to management of vessel traffic in Puget Sound.
3912 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(f) PUGET SOUND VESSEL TRAFFIC SERVICE LOCAL 
VARIANCE AND POLICY.—The Secretary, with the concur-
rence of the Under Secretary and in consultation with the 
Captain of the Port for the Puget Sound region— 
(1) shall implement local variances, as authorized 
by subsection (c) of section 70001 of title 46, United 
States Code, to reduce the impact of vessel traffic on 
large cetaceans; and 
(2) may enter into cooperative agreements, in ac-
cordance with subsection (d) of such section, with Fed-
eral, State, Tribal, and local officials to reduce the likeli-
hood of vessel interactions with protected large 
cetaceans, which may include— 
(A) communicating marine mammal protection 
guidance to vessels; 
(B) training on requirements imposed by local, 
State, Tribal, and Federal laws and regulations and 
guidelines concerning— 
(i) vessel buffer zones; 
(ii) vessel speed; 
(iii) seasonal no-go zones for vessels; 
(iv) protected areas, including areas des-
ignated as critical habitat, as applicable to ma-
rine operations; and
3913 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(v) any other activities to reduce the di-
rect and indirect impact of vessel traffic on 
large cetaceans; 
(C) training to understand, utilize, and com-
municate large cetacean location data; and 
(D) training to understand and communicate 
basic large cetacean detection, identification, and 
behavior, including— 
(i) cues of the presence of large cetaceans 
such as spouts, water disturbances, breaches, 
or presence of prey; 
(ii) important feeding, breeding, calving, 
and rearing habitats that co-occur with areas 
of high risk of vessel strikes; 
(iii) seasonal large cetacean migration 
routes that co-occur with areas of high risk of 
vessel strikes; and 
(iv) areas designated as critical habitat for 
large cetaceans. 
(g) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years there-
after for the duration of the pilot program, the Commandant, 
in coordination with the Under Secretary and the Adminis-
trator of the Maritime Administration, shall submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees a report that—
3914 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(1) evaluates the functionality, utility, reliability, re-
sponsiveness, and operational status of the Cetacean 
Desk established under this section, including a quan-
tification of reductions in vessel strikes to large 
cetaceans as a result of the pilot program; 
(2) assesses the efficacy of communication between 
the Cetacean Desk and the maritime industry and pro-
vides recommendations for improvements; 
(3) evaluates the integration and interoperability of 
existing data collection methods, as well as public data, 
into the Cetacean Desk operations; 
(4) assesses the efficacy of collaboration and stake-
holder engagement with Tribal governments, the State of 
Washington, institutions of higher education, the mari-
time industry, ports in the Puget Sound region, and 
nongovernmental organizations; and 
(5) evaluates the progress, performance, and imple-
mentation of guidance and training procedures for Puget 
Sound Vessel Traffic Service personnel, as required 
under subsection (f). 
SEC. 11305. MONITORING OCEAN SOUNDSCAPES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall maintain 
and expand an ocean soundscape development program to— 
(1) award grants to expand the deployment of Fed-
eral and non-Federal observing and data management
3915 
•HRES 1512 EH 
systems capable of collecting measurements of under-
water sound for purposes of monitoring and analyzing 
baselines and trends in the underwater soundscape to 
protect and manage marine life; 
(2) continue to develop and apply standardized 
forms of measurements to assess sounds produced by 
marine animals, physical processes, and anthropogenic 
activities; and 
(3) after coordinating with the Secretary of De-
fense, coordinate and make accessible to the public the 
datasets, modeling and analysis, and user-driven prod-
ucts and tools resulting from observations of underwater 
sound funded through grants awarded under paragraph 
(1). 
(b) COORDINATION.—The program described in sub-
section (a) shall— 
(1) include the Ocean Noise Reference Station Net-
work of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration and the National Park Service; 
(2) use and coordinate with the Integrated Ocean 
Observing System; and 
(3) coordinate with the Regional Ocean Partner-
ships and the Director of the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service, as appropriate.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under subsection (a), 
the Under Secretary shall consider the geographic diversity of 
the recipients of such grants. 
(d) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—An activity may not be carried 
out under this section if the Secretary of Defense, in con-
sultation with the Under Secretary, determines that the activ-
ity would negatively impact the defense readiness or the na-
tional security of the United States. 
(e) FUNDING.—From funds otherwise appropriated to 
the Under Secretary, $1,500,000 is authorized for each of fis-
cal years 2023 through 2028 to carry out this section. 
Subtitle B—Oil Spills 
SEC. 11306. REPORT ON CHANGING SALVORS. 
Section 311(c)(3) of the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(c)(3)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(C) In any case in which the President or the Fed-
eral On-Scene Coordinator authorizes a deviation from 
the salvor as part of a deviation under subparagraph (B) 
from the applicable response plan required under sub-
section (j), the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall 
submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate a report describing the deviation and the reasons
3917 
•HRES 1512 EH 
for such deviation not less than 3 days after such devi-
ation is authorized.’’. 
SEC. 11307. LIMITED INDEMNITY PROVISIONS IN STANDBY OIL 
SPILL RESPONSE CONTRACTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsections (b) and (c), a 
contract with the Coast Guard for the containment or re-
moval of a discharge entered into by the President under sec-
tion 311(c) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1321(c)) shall contain a provision to indemnify a con-
tractor for liabilities and expenses incidental to the contain-
ment or removal arising out of the performance of the con-
tract that is substantially identical to the terms contained in 
subsections (d) through (h) of section H.4 (except for para-
graph (1) of subsection (d)) of the contract offered by the 
Coast Guard in the solicitation numbered DTCG89–98– A– 
68F953, dated November 17, 1998. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) SOURCE
OF
FUNDS.—The provision required 
under subsection (a) shall include a provision that the 
obligation to indemnify is limited to funds available in 
the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund established by section 
9509(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 at the 
time the claim for indemnity is made. 
(2) UNCOMPENSATED REMOVAL.—A claim for in-
demnity under a contract described in subsection (a)
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•HRES 1512 EH 
shall be made as a claim for uncompensated removal 
costs under section 1012(a)(4) of the Oil Pollution Act 
of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2712(a)(4)). 
(3) LIMITATION.—The total indemnity for a claim 
under a contract described in subsection (a) may not be 
more than $50,000 per incident. 
(c) APPLICABILITY OF EXEMPTIONS.—Notwithstanding 
subsection (a), the United States shall not be obligated to in-
demnify a contractor for any act or omission of the con-
tractor carried out pursuant to a contract entered into under 
this section where such act or omission is grossly negligent 
or which constitutes willful misconduct. 
SEC. 11308. IMPROVING OIL SPILL PREPAREDNESS. 
The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and At-
mosphere shall include in the Automated Data Inquiry for Oil 
Spills database (or a successor database) used by National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oil weathering mod-
els new data, including peer-reviewed data, on properties of 
crude and refined oils, including data on diluted bitumen, as 
such data becomes publicly available. 
SEC. 11309. WESTERN ALASKA OIL SPILL PLANNING CRITERIA. 
(a) ALASKA
OIL
SPILL
PLANNING
CRITERIA
PRO-
GRAM.—
3919 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 14, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 323. Western Alaska Oil Spill Planning Criteria Pro-
gram 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within the 
Coast Guard a Western Alaska Oil Spill Planning Criteria 
Program (referred to in this section as the ‘Program’) to de-
velop and administer the Western Alaska oil spill planning 
criteria. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM MANAGER.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Commandant shall 
select a permanent civilian career employee through a 
competitive search process for a term of not less than 5 
years to serve as the Western Alaska Oil Spill Criteria 
Program Manager (referred to in this section as the 
‘Program Manager’)— 
‘‘(A) the primary duty of whom shall be to ad-
minister the Program; and 
‘‘(B) who shall not be subject to frequent or 
routine reassignment. 
‘‘(2) CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.—The individual se-
lected to serve as the Program Manager shall not have
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•HRES 1512 EH 
conflicts of interest relating to entities regulated by the 
Coast Guard. 
‘‘(3) DUTIES.— 
‘‘(A) DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDANCE.—The Pro-
gram Manager shall develop guidance for— 
‘‘(i) approval, drills, and testing relating 
to the Western Alaska oil spill planning cri-
teria; and 
‘‘(ii) gathering input concerning such 
planning criteria from Federal agencies, State 
and local governments, Tribes, and relevant in-
dustry and nongovernmental entities. 
‘‘(B) ASSESSMENTS.—Not less frequently than 
once every 5 years, the Program Manager shall— 
‘‘(i) assess whether such existing planning 
criteria adequately meet the needs of vessels 
operating in the geographic area; and 
‘‘(ii) identify methods for advancing re-
sponse capability so as to achieve, with respect 
to a vessel, compliance with national planning 
criteria. 
‘‘(C) ONSITE
VERIFICATIONS.—The Program 
Manager shall address the relatively small number 
and limited nature of verifications of response capa-
bilities for vessel response plans by increasing, with-
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•HRES 1512 EH 
in the Seventeenth Coast Guard District, the quan-
tity and frequency of onsite verifications of the pro-
viders identified in vessel response plans. 
‘‘(c) TRAINING.—The Commandant shall enhance the 
knowledge and proficiency of Coast Guard personnel with re-
spect to the Program by— 
‘‘(1) developing formalized training on the Program 
that, at a minimum— 
‘‘(A) provides in-depth analysis of— 
‘‘(i) the national planning criteria de-
scribed in part 155 of title 33, Code of Federal 
Regulations (as in effect on the date of enact-
ment of this section); 
‘‘(ii) alternative planning criteria; 
‘‘(iii) Western Alaska oil spill planning 
criteria; 
‘‘(iv) Captain of the Port and Federal On- 
Scene Coordinator authorities related to activa-
tion of a vessel response plan; 
‘‘(v) the responsibilities of vessel owners 
and operators in preparing a vessel response 
plan for submission; and 
‘‘(vi) responsibilities of the Area Com-
mittee, including risk analysis, response capa-
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•HRES 1512 EH 
bility, and development of alternative planning 
criteria; 
‘‘(B) explains the approval processes of vessel 
response plans that involve alternative planning cri-
teria or Western Alaska oil spill planning criteria; 
and 
‘‘(C) provides instruction on the processes in-
volved in carrying out the actions described in para-
graphs (9)(D) and (9)(F) of section 311(j) of the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1321(j)), including instruction on carrying out such 
actions— 
‘‘(i) in any geographic area in the United 
States; and 
‘‘(ii) specifically in the Seventeenth Coast 
Guard District; and 
‘‘(2) providing such training to all Coast Guard per-
sonnel involved in the Program. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ALTERNATIVE
PLANNING
CRITERIA.—The 
term ‘alternative planning criteria’ means criteria sub-
mitted under section 155.1065 or 155.5067 of title 33, 
Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of 
enactment of this section), for vessel response plans.
3923 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(2) TRIBE.—The term ‘Tribe’ has the meaning 
given the term ‘Indian Tribe’ in section 4 of the Indian 
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
U.S.C. 5304). 
‘‘(3) VESSEL RESPONSE PLAN.—The term ‘vessel 
response plan’ means a plan required to be submitted by 
the owner or operator of a tank vessel or a nontank ves-
sel under regulations issued by the President under sec-
tion 311(j)(5) of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)(5)). 
‘‘(4) WESTERN ALASKA OIL SPILL PLANNING CRI-
TERIA.—The term ‘Western Alaska oil spill planning cri-
teria’ means the criteria required to be established under 
paragraph (9) of section 311(j) of the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)).’’. 
(2) CLERICAL
AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 
chapter 3 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘323. Western Alaska Oil Spill Planning Criteria Program.’’. 
(b) WESTERN
ALASKA
OIL
SPILL
PLANNING
CRI-
TERIA.— 
(1) AMENDMENT.—Section 311(j) of the Federal 
Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) WESTERN ALASKA OIL SPILL PLANNING CRI-
TERIA PROGRAM.—
3924 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) ALTERNATIVE PLANNING CRITERIA.— 
The term ‘alternative planning criteria’ means 
criteria submitted under section 155.1065 or 
155.5067 of title 33, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (as in effect on the date of enactment of 
this paragraph), for vessel response plans. 
‘‘(ii) PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND CAPTAIN OF 
THE PORT ZONE.—The term ‘Prince William 
Sound Captain of the Port Zone’ means the 
area described in section 3.85–15(b) of title 
33, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
regulations). 
‘‘(iii) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ 
means the Secretary of the department in 
which the Coast Guard is operating. 
‘‘(iv) VESSEL RESPONSE PLAN.—The term 
‘vessel response plan’ means a plan required to 
be submitted by the owner or operator of a 
tank vessel or a nontank vessel under regula-
tions issued by the President under paragraph 
(5). 
‘‘(v) WESTERN ALASKA CAPTAIN OF THE 
PORT ZONE.—The term ‘Western Alaska Cap-
tain of the Port Zone’ means the area de-
3925 
•HRES 1512 EH 
scribed in section 3.85–15(a) of title 33, Code 
of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date 
of enactment of this paragraph). 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (I), for any part of the area of re-
sponsibility of the Western Alaska Captain of the 
Port Zone or the Prince William Sound Captain of 
the Port Zone for which the Secretary has deter-
mined that the national planning criteria estab-
lished pursuant to this subsection are inappropriate 
for a vessel operating in such area, a vessel re-
sponse plan with respect to a discharge of oil for 
such a vessel shall comply with the Western Alaska 
oil spill planning criteria established under subpara-
graph (D)(i). 
‘‘(C) RELATION TO NATIONAL PLANNING CRI-
TERIA.—The Western Alaska oil spill planning cri-
teria established under subparagraph (D)(i) shall, 
with respect to a discharge of oil from a vessel de-
scribed in subparagraph (B), apply in lieu of any al-
ternative planning criteria accepted for vessels oper-
ating, prior to the date on which the Western Alas-
ka oil spill planning criteria are established, in any 
part of the area of responsibility of the Western 
Alaska Captain of the Port Zone or the Prince Wil-
3926 
•HRES 1512 EH 
liam Sound Captain of the Port Zone for which the 
Secretary has determined that the national planning 
criteria established pursuant to this subsection are 
inappropriate for a vessel operating in such area. 
‘‘(D) ESTABLISHMENT OF WESTERN ALASKA 
OIL SPILL PLANNING CRITERIA.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting 
through the Commandant, in consultation with 
the Western Alaska Oil Spill Criteria Program 
Manager selected under section 323 of title 14, 
United States Code, shall establish— 
‘‘(I) Western Alaska oil spill planning 
criteria for a worst case discharge of oil, 
and a substantial threat of such a dis-
charge, within any part of the area of re-
sponsibility of the Western Alaska Captain 
of the Port Zone or Prince William Sound 
Captain of the Port Zone for which the 
Secretary has determined that the na-
tional planning criteria established pursu-
ant to this subsection are inappropriate 
for a vessel operating in such area; and 
‘‘(II) standardized submission, re-
view, approval, and compliance verification 
processes for the Western Alaska oil spill
3927 
•HRES 1512 EH 
planning criteria established under this 
clause, including the quantity and fre-
quency of drills and on-site verifications of 
vessel response plans approved pursuant 
to such planning criteria. 
‘‘(ii) DEVELOPMENT OF SUBREGIONS.— 
‘‘(I) DEVELOPMENT.—After estab-
lishing the Western Alaska oil spill plan-
ning criteria under clause (i), and if nec-
essary to adequately reflect the needs and 
capabilities of various locations within the 
Western Alaska Captain of the Port Zone, 
the President, acting through the Com-
mandant, and in consultation with the 
Western Alaska Oil Spill Criteria Program 
Manager selected under section 323 of 
title 14, United States Code, may develop 
subregions for which planning criteria 
may differ from planning criteria for other 
subregions in the Western Alaska Captain 
of the Port Zone. 
‘‘(II) 
LIMITATION.—Any 
planning 
criteria for a subregion developed under 
this clause may not be less stringent than
3929 
•HRES 1512 EH 
mental 
nongovernmental 
organizations, 
and shall take into account any experience 
with the prior use of subregions within the 
State of Alaska. 
‘‘(III) SUBMISSION.—The President, 
acting through the Commandant, shall 
submit the results of an assessment con-
ducted under this clause to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate. 
‘‘(E) INCLUSIONS.— 
‘‘(i) REQUIREMENTS.—The Western Alas-
ka oil spill planning criteria established under 
subparagraph (D)(i) shall include planning cri-
teria for the following: 
‘‘(I) Mechanical oil spill response re-
sources that are required to be located 
within any part of the area of responsi-
bility of the Western Alaska Captain of 
the Port Zone or the Prince William 
Sound Captain of the Port Zone for which 
the Secretary has determined that the na-
tional planning criteria established pursu-
3930 
•HRES 1512 EH 
ant to this subsection are inappropriate 
for a vessel operating in such area. 
‘‘(II) Response times for mobilization 
of oil spill response resources and arrival 
on the scene of a worst case discharge of 
oil, or substantial threat of such a dis-
charge, occurring within such part of such 
area. 
‘‘(III) Pre-identified vessels for oil 
spill response that are capable of oper-
ating in the ocean environment. 
‘‘(IV) Ensuring the availability of at 
least 1 oil spill removal organization that 
is classified by the Coast Guard and 
that— 
‘‘(aa) is capable of responding in 
all operating environments in such 
part of such area; 
‘‘(bb) controls oil spill response 
resources of dedicated and nondedi-
cated resources within such part of 
such area, through ownership, con-
tracts, agreements, or other means 
approved by the President, suffi-
cient—
3931 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(AA) to mobilize and sus-
tain a response to a worst case 
discharge of oil; and 
‘‘(BB) to contain, recover, 
and temporarily store discharged 
oil; 
‘‘(cc) has pre-positioned oil spill 
response resources in strategic loca-
tions throughout such part of such 
area in a manner that ensures the 
ability to support response personnel, 
marine operations, air cargo, or other 
related logistics infrastructure; 
‘‘(dd) has temporary storage ca-
pability using both dedicated and 
non-dedicated assets located within 
such part of such area; 
‘‘(ee) has non-mechanical oil 
spill response resources capable of re-
sponding to a discharge of persistent 
oil and a discharge of nonpersistent 
oil, whether the discharged oil was 
carried by a vessel as fuel or cargo; 
and
3932 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(ff) has wildlife response re-
sources for primary, secondary, and 
tertiary responses to support carcass 
collection, sampling, deterrence, res-
cue, and rehabilitation of birds, sea 
turtles, marine mammals, fishery re-
sources, and other wildlife. 
‘‘(V) With respect to tank barges car-
rying nonpersistent oil in bulk as cargo, 
oil spill response resources that are re-
quired to be carried on board. 
‘‘(VI) Specifying a minimum length 
of time that approval of a vessel response 
plan under this paragraph is valid. 
‘‘(VII) Managing wildlife protection 
and rehabilitation, including identified 
wildlife protection and rehabilitation re-
sources in that area. 
‘‘(ii) ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS.—The 
Western Alaska oil spill planning criteria es-
tablished under subparagraph (D)(i) may in-
clude planning criteria for the following: 
‘‘(I) Vessel routing measures con-
sistent with international routing measure 
deviation protocols.
3933 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(II) Maintenance of real-time con-
tinuous vessel tracking, monitoring, and 
engagement protocols with the ability to 
detect and address vessel operation anom-
alies. 
‘‘(F) REQUIREMENT
FOR
APPROVAL.—The 
President may approve a vessel response plan for a 
vessel under this paragraph only if the owner or op-
erator of the vessel demonstrates the availability of 
the oil spill response resources required to be in-
cluded in the vessel response plan under the West-
ern Alaska oil spill planning criteria established 
under subparagraph (D)(i). 
‘‘(G) PERIODIC AUDITS.—The Secretary shall 
conduct periodic audits to ensure compliance of ves-
sel response plans and oil spill removal organiza-
tions within the Western Alaska Captain of the 
Port Zone and the Prince William Sound Captain 
of the Port Zone with the Western Alaska oil spill 
planning criteria established under subparagraph 
(D)(i). 
‘‘(H) REVIEW OF DETERMINATION.—Not less 
frequently than once every 5 years, the Secretary 
shall review each determination of the Secretary 
under subparagraph (B) that the national planning
3934 
•HRES 1512 EH 
criteria established pursuant to this subsection are 
inappropriate for a vessel operating in the area of 
responsibility of the Western Alaska Captain of the 
Port Zone and the Prince William Sound Captain 
of the Port Zone. 
‘‘(I) VESSELS IN COOK INLET.—Unless other-
wise authorized by the Secretary, a vessel may only 
operate in Cook Inlet, Alaska, under a vessel re-
sponse plan approved under paragraph (5) that 
meets the requirements of the national planning cri-
teria established pursuant to this subsection. 
‘‘(J) SAVINGS
PROVISIONS.—Nothing in this 
paragraph affects— 
‘‘(i) the requirements under this sub-
section applicable to vessel response plans for 
vessels operating within the area of responsi-
bility of the Western Alaska Captain of the 
Port Zone, within Cook Inlet, Alaska; 
‘‘(ii) the requirements under this sub-
section applicable to vessel response plans for 
vessels operating within the area of responsi-
bility of the Prince William Sound Captain of 
the Port Zone that are subject to section 5005 
of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 
2735); or
3935 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(iii) the authority of a Federal On-Scene 
Coordinator to use any available resources 
when responding to an oil spill.’’. 
(2) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
WESTERN
ALASKA
OIL 
SPILL PLANNING CRITERIA.— 
(A) DEADLINE.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the President 
shall establish the Western Alaska oil spill planning 
criteria required to be established under paragraph 
(9)(D)(i) of section 311(j) of the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)). 
(B) 
CONSULTATION.—In 
establishing 
the 
Western Alaska oil spill planning criteria described 
in subparagraph (A), the President shall consult 
with the Federal agencies, State and local govern-
ments, Tribes (as defined in section 323 of title 14, 
United States Code), the owners and operators that 
would be subject to such planning criteria, oil spill 
removal organizations, Alaska Native organizations, 
and environmental nongovernmental organizations. 
(C) CONGRESSIONAL REPORT.—Not later than 
2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describ-
ing the status of implementation of paragraph (9)
3936 
•HRES 1512 EH 
of section 311(j) of the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)). 
SEC. 11310. COAST GUARD CLAIMS PROCESSING COSTS. 
Section 1012(a)(4) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2712(a)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘damages;’’ and 
inserting ‘‘damages, including, in the case of a spill of na-
tional significance that results in extraordinary Coast Guard 
claims processing activities, the administrative and personnel 
costs of the Coast Guard to process such claims (including 
the costs of commercial claims processing, expert services, 
training, and technical services), subject to the condition that 
the Coast Guard shall submit to Congress a report describing 
each spill of national significance not later than 30 days after 
the date on which the Coast Guard determines it necessary 
to process such claims;’’. 
SEC. 11311. CALCULATION OF INTEREST ON DEBT OWED TO NA-
TIONAL POLLUTION FUND. 
Section 1005(b)(4) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2705(b)(4)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The interest paid’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The interest paid for 
claims, other than Federal Government cost recov-
ery claims,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following:
3937 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(B) FEDERAL COST RECOVERY CLAIMS.—The 
interest paid for Federal Government cost recovery 
claims under this section shall be calculated in ac-
cordance with section 3717 of title 31, United 
States Code.’’. 
SEC. 11312. PER-INCIDENT LIMITATION. 
Subparagraph (A) of section 9509(c)(2) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended— 
(1) in clause (i) by striking ‘‘$1,000,000,000’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$1,500,000,000’’; 
(2) in clause (ii) by striking ‘‘$500,000,000’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$750,000,000’’; and 
(3) in the heading by striking ‘‘$1,000,000,000’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$1,500,000,000’’. 
SEC. 11313. ACCESS TO OIL SPILL LIABILITY TRUST FUND. 
Section 6002 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2752) is amended by striking subsection (b) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(b) EXCEPTIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) shall not apply 
to— 
‘‘(A) section 1006(f), 1012(a)(4), or 5006; or 
‘‘(B) an amount, which may not exceed 
$50,000,000 in any fiscal year, made available by 
the President from the Fund—
3938 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(i) to carry out section 311(c) of the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1321(c)); and 
‘‘(ii) to initiate the assessment of natural 
resources damages required under section 
1006. 
‘‘(2) FUND ADVANCES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—To the extent that the 
amount described in subparagraph (B) of para-
graph (1) is not adequate to carry out the activities 
described in such subparagraph, the Coast Guard 
may obtain 1 or more advances from the Fund as 
may 
be 
necessary, 
up 
to 
a 
maximum 
of 
$100,000,000 for each advance, with the total 
amount of advances not to exceed the amounts 
available under section 9509(c)(2) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986. 
‘‘(B) NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 30 days after the date on which the Coast 
Guard obtains an advance under subparagraph (A), 
the Coast Guard shall notify Congress of— 
‘‘(i) the amount advanced; and 
‘‘(ii) the facts and circumstances that ne-
cessitated the advance.
3939 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(C) REPAYMENT.—Amounts advanced under 
this paragraph shall be repaid to the Fund when, 
and to the extent that, removal costs are recovered 
by the Coast Guard from responsible parties for the 
discharge or substantial threat of discharge. 
‘‘(3) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts to which this sub-
section applies shall remain available until expended.’’. 
SEC. 11314. COST-REIMBURSABLE AGREEMENTS. 
Section 1012 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2712) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B) by striking ‘‘by a Gov-
ernor or designated State official’’ and inserting ‘‘by a 
State, a political subdivision of a State, or an Indian 
tribe, pursuant to a cost-reimbursable agreement’’; 
(2) by striking subsections (d) and (e) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(d) COST-REIMBURSABLE AGREEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out section 311(c) 
of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1321(c)), the President may enter into cost-reimbursable 
agreements with a State, a political subdivision of a 
State, or an Indian tribe to obligate the Fund for the 
payment of removal costs consistent with the National 
Contingency Plan.
3940 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(2) INAPPLICABILITY.—Chapter 63 and section 
1535 of title 31, United States Code shall not apply to 
a cost-reimbursable agreement entered into under this 
subsection.’’; and 
(3) by redesignating subsections (f), (h), (i), (j), 
(k), and (l) as subsections (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j), 
respectively. 
SEC. 11315. OIL SPILL RESPONSE REVIEW. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of appro-
priations, the Commandant shall develop and carry out a pro-
gram— 
(1) to increase collection and improve the quality of 
incident data on oil spill location and response capability 
by periodically evaluating the data, documentation, and 
analysis of— 
(A) Coast Guard-approved vessel response 
plans, including vessel response plan audits and as-
sessments; 
(B) oil spill response drills conducted under 
section 311(j)(7) of the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321(j)(7)) that occur with-
in the Marine Transportation System; and 
(C) responses to oil spill incidents that require 
mobilization of contracted response resources;
3941 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(2) to improve the effectiveness of vessel response 
plans by— 
(A) systematically reviewing the capacity of an 
oil spill response organization identified in a vessel 
response plan to provide the specific response re-
sources, such as private personnel, equipment, other 
vessels identified in such vessel response plan; and 
(B) approving a vessel response plan only after 
confirming the identified oil spill response organiza-
tion has the capacity to provide such response re-
sources; 
(3) to update, not less frequently than annually, in-
formation contained in the Coast Guard Response Re-
source Inventory and other Coast Guard tools used to 
document the availability and status of oil spill response 
equipment, so as to ensure that such information re-
mains current; and 
(4) subject to section 552 of title 5, United States 
Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Freedom of Information 
Act’’), to make data collected under paragraph (1) avail-
able to the public. 
(b) POLICY.—Not later than 1 year after the date of en-
actment of this Act, the Commandant shall issue a policy— 
(1) to establish processes to maintain the program 
under subsection (a) and support Coast Guard oil spill
3942 
•HRES 1512 EH 
prevention and response activities, including by incor-
porating oil spill incident data from after-action oil spill 
reports and data ascertained from vessel response plan 
exercises and audits into— 
(A) review and approval process standards and 
metrics; 
(B) alternative planning criteria review proc-
esses; 
(C) Area Contingency Plan development; 
(D) risk assessments developed under section 
70001 of title 46, United States Code, including 
lessons learned from reportable marine casualties; 
(E) processes and standards which mitigate 
the impact of military personnel rotations in Coast 
Guard field units on knowledge and awareness of 
vessel response plan requirements, including knowl-
edge relating to the evaluation of proposed alter-
natives to national planning requirements; and 
(F) processes and standards which evaluate the 
consequences of reporting inaccurate data in vessel 
response plans submitted to the Commandant pur-
suant to part 300 of title 40, Code of Federal Reg-
ulations, and submitted for storage in the Marine 
Information for Safety and Law Enforcement data-
3943 
•HRES 1512 EH 
base pursuant to section 300.300 of such title (or 
any successor regulation); 
(2) to standardize and develop tools, training, and 
other relevant guidance that may be shared with vessel 
owners and operators to assist with accurately calcu-
lating and measuring the performance and viability of 
proposed alternatives to national planning criteria re-
quirements and Area Contingency Plans administered by 
the Coast Guard; 
(3) to improve training of Coast Guard personnel to 
ensure continuity of planning activities under this sec-
tion, including by identifying ways in which civilian 
staffing may improve the continuity of operations; and 
(4) to increase Federal Government engagement 
with State, local, and Tribal governments and stake-
holders so as to strengthen coordination and efficiency of 
oil spill responses. 
(c) PERIODIC UPDATES.—Not less frequently than every 
5 years, the Commandant shall update the processes estab-
lished under subsection (b)(1) to incorporate relevant anal-
yses of— 
(1) incident data on oil spill location and response 
quality; 
(2) oil spill risk assessments;
3944 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(3) oil spill response effectiveness and the effects of 
such response on the environment; 
(4) oil spill response drills conducted under section 
311(j)(7) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
(33 U.S.C. 1321(j)(7)); 
(5) marine casualties reported to the Coast Guard; 
and 
(6) near miss incidents documented by a vessel traf-
fic service center (as such terms are defined in sections 
70001(m) of title 46, United States Code). 
(d) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter 
for 5 years, the Commandant shall provide to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives a briefing on 
the status of ongoing and planned efforts to improve the 
effectiveness and oversight of the program established 
under subsection (a) and vessel response plan approvals. 
(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Commandant shall 
publish the briefing required under paragraph (1) on a 
publicly accessible website of the Coast Guard.
3945 
•HRES 1512 EH 
SEC. 11316. ADDITIONAL EXCEPTIONS TO REGULATIONS FOR 
TOWING VESSELS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall review ex-
isting Coast Guard policies with respect to exceptions to the 
applicability of subchapter M of chapter I of title 46, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), for— 
(1) an oil spill response vessel, or a vessel of oppor-
tunity, while such vessel is— 
(A) towing boom for oil spill response; or 
(B) participating in an oil response exercise; 
and 
(2) a fishing vessel while that vessel is operating as 
a vessel of opportunity. 
(b) POLICY.—Not later than 180 days after the conclu-
sion of the review required under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall revise or issue any necessary policy to clarify the 
applicability of subchapter M of chapter I of title 46, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations) to the ves-
sels described in subsection (a). Such a policy shall ensure 
safe and effective operation of such vessels. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) FISHING
VESSEL; OIL
SPILL
RESPONSE
VES-
SEL.—The terms ‘‘fishing vessel’’ and ‘‘oil spill response 
vessel’’ have the meanings given such terms in section 
2101 of title 46, United States Code.
3946 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(2) VESSEL OF OPPORTUNITY.—The term ‘‘vessel of 
opportunity’’ means a vessel engaged in spill response 
activities that is normally and substantially involved in 
activities other than spill response and not a vessel car-
rying oil as a primary cargo. 
SEC. 11317. PORT COORDINATION COUNCIL FOR POINT SPEN-
CER. 
Section 541 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 
2016 (Public Law 114–120) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(2) by striking ‘‘BSNC’’ and 
inserting the following: ‘‘BSNC (to serve as Council 
Chair). 
‘‘(3) The Denali Commission. 
‘‘(4) An oil spill removal organization that serves 
the area in which such Port is located. 
‘‘(5) A salvage and marine firefighting organization 
that serves the area in which such Port is located.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B) by striking the 
semicolon and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting the 
following: ‘‘at Point Spencer in support of the 
activities for which Congress finds a compelling 
need in section 531 of this subtitle.’’; and
3947 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(iii) by striking subparagraph (D); and 
(B) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(3) Facilitate coordination among members of the 
Council on the development and use of the land and 
coastline of Point Spencer, as such development and use 
relate to activities of the Council at the Port of Point 
Spencer.’’. 
Subtitle C—Environmental 
Compliance 
SEC. 11318. PROVIDING REQUIREMENTS FOR VESSELS AN-
CHORED IN ESTABLISHED ANCHORAGE GROUNDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 700 of title 
46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘§ 70007. Anchorage grounds 
‘‘(a) ANCHORAGE GROUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the de-
partment in which the Coast Guard is operating shall 
define and establish anchorage grounds in the navigable 
waters of the United States for vessels operating in such 
waters. 
‘‘(2) RELEVANT FACTORS FOR ESTABLISHMENT.— 
In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take 
into account all relevant factors concerning navigational
3949 
•HRES 1512 EH 
essary to maintain the safety of the vessel or to prevent the 
loss of life or property.’’. 
(b) REGULATORY REVIEW.— 
(1) REVIEW
REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall review existing policies, final agency actions, regu-
lations, or other rules relating to anchorage promulgated 
under section 70006 of title 46, United States Code 
and— 
(A) identify any such regulations or rules that 
may need modification or repeal— 
(i) in the interest of marine safety, secu-
rity, and environmental concerns, taking into 
account undersea pipelines, cables, or other in-
frastructure; or 
(ii) to implement the amendments made 
by this section; and 
(B) complete a cost-benefit analysis for any 
modification or repeal identified under paragraph 
(1). 
(2) BRIEFING.—Upon completion of the review 
under paragraph (1), but not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
provide a briefing to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Com-
3950 
•HRES 1512 EH 
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives that summarizes such review. 
(c) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section shall 
limit any authority available, as of the date of enactment of 
this Act, to the captain of a port with respect to safety meas-
ures or any other authority as necessary for the safety of ves-
sels located in anchorage grounds in the navigable waters of 
the United States. 
(d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chapter 
700 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 70006 the following: 
‘‘70007. Anchorage grounds.’’. 
(e) APPLICABILITY
OF
REGULATIONS.—The amend-
ments made by subsection (a) may not be construed to alter 
any existing rules, regulations, or final agency actions issued 
under section 70006 of title 46, United States Code, as in 
effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act, 
until all regulations required under subsection (b) take effect. 
SEC. 11319. STUDY ON IMPACTS ON SHIPPING AND COMMER-
CIAL, TRIBAL, AND RECREATIONAL FISHERIES 
FROM DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY 
ON WEST COAST. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, the Secretary of the In-
terior, and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
Atmosphere, shall seek to enter into an agreement with the
3951 
•HRES 1512 EH 
National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine 
under which the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, 
and Medicine shall carry out a study to— 
(1) identify, document, and analyze— 
(A) historic and current, as of the date of the 
study, Tribal, commercial, and recreational fishing 
grounds, as well as areas where fish stocks are like-
ly to shift in the future in all covered waters; 
(B) usual and accustomed fishing areas in all 
covered waters; 
(C) historic, current, and potential future ship-
ping lanes, based on projected growth in shipping 
traffic in all covered waters; 
(D) current and expected Coast Guard oper-
ations relevant to commercial fishing activities, in-
cluding search and rescue, radar, navigation, com-
munications, and safety within and near renewable 
energy sites; and 
(E) key types of data needed to properly site 
renewable energy sites on the West Coast, with re-
gard to assessing and mitigating conflicts; 
(2) analyze— 
(A) methods used to manage fishing, shipping, 
and other maritime activities; and
3952 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(B) potential future interactions between such 
activities and the placement of renewable energy in-
frastructure and the associated construction, main-
tenance, and operation of such infrastructure, in-
cluding potential benefits and methods of mitigating 
adverse impacts; and 
(3) review the current decision-making process for 
offshore wind in covered waters, and outline rec-
ommendations for governmental consideration of all im-
pacted coastal communities, particularly Tribal govern-
ments and fisheries communities, in the decision-making 
process for offshore wind in covered waters, including 
recommendations for— 
(A) ensuring the appropriate governmental 
consideration of potential benefits of offshore wind 
in covered waters; and 
(B) risk reduction and mitigation of adverse 
impacts on Coast Guard operations relevant to com-
mercial fishing activities. 
(b) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 1 year after com-
mencing the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall— 
(1) submit the study to the Committees on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation, and Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committees on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, Natural Resources,
3953 
•HRES 1512 EH 
and Energy and Commerce of the House of Representa-
tives, including the review and outline provided under 
subsection (a)(3); and 
(2) make the study publicly available. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) 
COVERED
WATERS.—The 
term 
‘‘covered 
waters’’ means Federal or State waters off of the Cana-
dian border and out to the furthest extent of the exclu-
sive economic zone along the West Coast of the United 
States. 
(2) EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE.—The term ‘‘ex-
clusive economic zone’’ has the meaning given such term 
in section 107 of title 46, United States Code. 
SEC. 11320. USE OF DEVICES BROADCASTING ON AIS FOR PUR-
POSES OF MARKING FISHING GEAR. 
The Secretary shall, within the Eleventh Coast Guard 
District, Thirteenth Coast Guard District, Fourteenth Coast 
Guard District, and Seventeenth Coast Guard District, sus-
pend enforcement of individuals using automatic identifica-
tion systems devices to mark fishing equipment during the 
period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and 
ending on the earlier of— 
(1) the date that is 2 years after such date of en-
actment; or
3954 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(2) the date on which the Federal Communications 
Commission promulgates a final rule to authorize a de-
vice used to mark fishing equipment to operate in radio 
frequencies assigned for Automatic Identification System 
stations. 
Subtitle D—Environmental Issues 
SEC. 11321. NOTIFICATION OF COMMUNICATION OUTAGES. 
(a) UPGRADES TO RESCUE 21 SYSTEM IN ALASKA.— 
Not later than August 30, 2023, the Commandant shall en-
sure the timely upgrade of the Rescue 21 system in Alaska 
so as to achieve 98 percent operational availability of remote 
fixed facility sites. 
(b) PLAN TO REDUCE OUTAGES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall 
develop an operations and maintenance plan for the Res-
cue 21 system in Alaska that anticipates maintenance 
needs so as to reduce Rescue 21 system outages to the 
maximum extent practicable. 
(2) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—The plan required 
under paragraph (1) shall be made available to the pub-
lic on a publicly accessible website. 
(c) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall 
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
3955 
•HRES 1512 EH 
portation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report 
that— 
(1) contains a plan for the Coast Guard to notify 
mariners of radio outages for towers owned and operated 
by the Seventeenth Coast Guard District; 
(2) addresses in such plan how the Seventeenth 
Coast Guard will— 
(A) disseminate updates regarding outages on 
social media not less frequently than every 48 
hours; 
(B) provide updates on a publicly accessible 
website not less frequently than every 48 hours; 
(C) develop methods for notifying mariners in 
areas in which cellular connectivity does not exist; 
and 
(D) develop and advertise a web-based commu-
nications update hub on AM/FM radio for mariners; 
and 
(3) identifies technology gaps that need to be miti-
gated in order to implement the plan and provides a 
budgetary assessment necessary to implement the plan. 
(d) CONTINGENCY PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant
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•HRES 1512 EH 
shall, in collaboration with relevant Federal, State, Trib-
al, and other relevant entities (including the North Pa-
cific Fishery Management Council, the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration Weather Service, the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fish-
eries Service, agencies of the State of Alaska, local radio 
stations, and stakeholders), establish a contingency plan 
to ensure that notifications of an outage of the Rescue 
21 system in Alaska are broadly disseminated in advance 
of such an outage. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The contingency plan required 
under paragraph (1) shall require the Coast Guard to— 
(A) disseminate updates regarding outages of 
the Rescue 21 system in Alaska on social media not 
less frequently than every 48 hours during an out-
age; 
(B) provide updates on a publicly accessible 
website not less frequently than every 48 hours dur-
ing an outage; 
(C) notify mariners in areas in which cellular 
connectivity does not exist; 
(D) develop and advertise a web-based commu-
nications update hub on AM/FM radio for mariners; 
and
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(E) identify technology gaps necessary to im-
plement the plan and provides a budgetary assess-
ment necessary to implement the plan. 
SEC. 11322. IMPROVEMENTS TO COMMUNICATION WITH FISH-
ING INDUSTRY AND RELATED STAKEHOLDERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant, in coordination 
with the National Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Com-
mittee established by section 15102 of title 46, United States 
Code, shall develop a publicly accessible website that contains 
all information related to fishing industry activities, including 
vessel safety, inspections, enforcement, hazards, training, reg-
ulations (including proposed regulations), outages of the Res-
cue 21 system in Alaska and similar outages, and any other 
fishing-related activities. 
(b) AUTOMATIC COMMUNICATIONS.—The Commandant 
shall provide methods for regular and automatic email com-
munications with stakeholders who elect, through the website 
developed under subsection (a), to receive such communica-
tions. 
SEC. 11323. ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF MILITARY OR OTHER 
EXERCISES. 
In consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Sec-
retary of State, and commercial fishing industry participants, 
the Commandant shall develop and publish on a publicly 
available website a plan for notifying United States mariners
3958 
•HRES 1512 EH 
and the operators of United States fishing vessels in advance 
of— 
(1) military exercises in the exclusive economic zone 
(as defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fish-
ery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1802)); or 
(2) other military activities that will impact rec-
reational or commercial activities. 
SEC. 11324. MODIFICATIONS TO SPORT FISH RESTORATION AND 
BOATING TRUST FUND ADMINISTRATION. 
(a) DINGELL-JOHNSON SPORT FISH RESTORATION ACT 
AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) AVAILABLE AMOUNTS.—Section 4(b)(1)(B)(i) of 
the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 
U.S.C. 777c(b)(1)(B)(i)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(i) for the fiscal year that includes No-
vember 15, 2021, the product obtained by mul-
tiplying— 
‘‘(I) $12,786,434; and 
‘‘(II) the change, relative to the pre-
ceding fiscal year, in the Consumer Price 
Index for All Urban Consumers published 
by the Department of Labor; and’’.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(2) AUTHORIZED EXPENSES.—Section 9(a) of the 
Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 
777h(a)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (7) by striking ‘‘full-time’’; 
and 
(B) in paragraph (9) by striking ‘‘on a full- 
time basis’’. 
(b) PITTMAN-ROBERTSON WILDLIFE RESTORATION ACT 
AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) AVAILABLE AMOUNTS.—Section 4(a)(1)(B)(i) of 
the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 
U.S.C. 669c(a)(1)(B)(i)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(i) for the fiscal year that includes No-
vember 15, 2021, the product obtained by mul-
tiplying— 
‘‘(I) $12,786,434; and 
‘‘(II) the change, relative to the pre-
ceding fiscal year, in the Consumer Price 
Index for All Urban Consumers published 
by the Department of Labor; and’’. 
(2) AUTHORIZED EXPENSES.—Section 9(a) of the 
Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 
669h(a)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (7) by striking ‘‘full-time’’; 
and
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(B) in paragraph (9) by striking ‘‘on a full- 
time basis’’. 
SEC. 11325. LOAD LINES. 
(a) APPLICATION TO CERTAIN VESSELS.—During the 
period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and 
ending on the date that is 3 years after the date on which 
the report required under subsection (b) is submitted, the 
load line requirements of chapter 51 of title 46, United 
States Code, shall not apply to covered fishing vessels. 
(b) GAO REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller Gen-
eral of the United States shall submit to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives— 
(A) a report on the safety and seaworthiness of 
vessels described in section 5102(b)(5) of title 46, 
United States Code; and 
(B) recommendations for exempting certain 
vessels from the load line requirements under chap-
ter 51 of title 46 of such Code. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required under para-
graph (1) shall include the following:
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(A) An assessment of stability requirements of 
vessels referenced in section 5102(b)(5) of title 46, 
United States Code. 
(B) An analysis of vessel casualties, mishaps, 
or other safety information relevant to load line re-
quirements when a vessel is operating part-time as 
a fish tender vessel. 
(C) An assessment of any other safety informa-
tion as the Comptroller General determines appro-
priate. 
(D) A list of all vessels that, as of the date of 
the report— 
(i) are covered under section 5102(b)(5) 
of title 46, United States Code; 
(ii) are acting as part-time fish tender 
vessels; and 
(iii) are subject to any captain of the port 
zone subject to the oversight of the Com-
mandant. 
(3) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the report re-
quired under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General 
shall consider consultation with, at a minimum, the mar-
itime industry, including— 
(A) relevant Federal, State, and Tribal mari-
time associations and groups; and
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(B) relevant federally funded research institu-
tions, nongovernmental organizations, and aca-
demia. 
(c) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section shall 
limit any authority available, as of the date of enactment of 
this Act, to the captain of a port with respect to safety meas-
ures or any other authority as necessary for the safety of cov-
ered fishing vessels. 
(d) DEFINITION
OF COVERED FISHING VESSEL.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘covered fishing vessel’’ means a vessel 
that operates exclusively in one, or both, of the Thirteenth 
and Seventeenth Coast Guard Districts and that— 
(1) was constructed, under construction, or under 
contract to be constructed as a fish tender vessel before 
January 1, 1980; 
(2) was converted for use as a fish tender vessel be-
fore January 1, 2022, and— 
(A) has a valid stability letter issued in accord-
ance with regulations prescribed under chapter 51 
of title 46, United States Code; and 
(B) the hull and internal structure of the ves-
sel has been verified as suitable for intended service 
as examined by a marine surveyor of an organiza-
tion accepted by the Secretary two times in the past
3963 
•HRES 1512 EH 
five years with no interval of more than three years 
between such examinations; or 
(3) operates part-time as a fish tender vessel for a 
period of less than 180 days. 
SEC. 11326. ACTIONS BY NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERV-
ICE TO INCREASE ENERGY PRODUCTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The National Marine Fisheries Serv-
ice shall, immediately upon the enactment of this Act, take 
action to address the outstanding backlog of letters of author-
ization for the Gulf of Mexico. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that the National Marine Fisheries Service should— 
(1) take immediate action to issue a rule that allows 
the Service to approve outstanding and future applica-
tions for letters of authorization consistent with the per-
mitting activities of the Service; and 
(2) on or after the effective date of such rule, 
prioritize the consideration of applications in a manner 
that is consistent with applicable Federal law. 
SEC. 11327. AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES TASK FORCE. 
(a) RECREATIONAL VESSEL DEFINED.—Section 1003 of 
the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control 
Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4702) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (13) through (17) 
as paragraphs (15) through (19), respectively; and
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (12) the following: 
‘‘(13) ‘State’ means each of the several States, the 
District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto 
Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Is-
lands of the United States; 
‘‘(14) ‘recreational vessel’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 502 of the Federal Water Pollution 
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1362);’’. 
(b) OBSERVERS.—Section 1201 of the Nonindigenous 
Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (16 
U.S.C. 4721) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) OBSERVERS.—The chairpersons designated under 
subsection (d) may invite representatives of nongovernmental 
entities to participate as observers of the Task Force.’’. 
(c) AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES TASK FORCE.—Section 
1201(b) of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention 
and Control Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4721(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (6) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph 
(10); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following: 
‘‘(7) the Director of the National Park Service; 
‘‘(8) the Director of the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment; 
‘‘(9) the Commissioner of Reclamation; and’’.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(d) AQUATIC NUISANCE SPECIES PROGRAM.—Section 
1202 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and 
Control Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4722) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (e) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.—The Task Force may provide technical assist-
ance and recommendations for best practices to an agen-
cy or entity engaged in vessel inspections or decon-
taminations for the purpose of— 
‘‘(A) effectively managing and controlling the 
movement of aquatic nuisance species into, within, 
or out of water of the United States; and 
‘‘(B) inspecting recreational vessels in a man-
ner that minimizes disruptions to public access for 
boating and recreation in non-contaminated vessels. 
‘‘(5) CONSULTATION AND INPUT.—In carrying out 
paragraph (4), including the development of rec-
ommendations, the Task Force may consult with Indian 
Tribes and solicit input from— 
‘‘(A) State and Tribal fish and wildlife man-
agement agencies; 
‘‘(B) other State and Tribal agencies that 
manage fishery resources of the State or sustain 
fishery habitat; and
3966 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(C) relevant nongovernmental entities.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (k) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) Not later than 90 days after the date of enact-
ment of the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act 
of 2022, the Task Force shall submit a report to Con-
gress recommending legislative, programmatic, or regu-
latory changes to eliminate remaining gaps in authorities 
between members of the Task Force to effectively man-
age and control the movement of aquatic nuisance spe-
cies.’’. 
(e) 
TECHNICAL
CORRECTIONS
AND
CONFORMING 
AMENDMENTS.—The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Pre-
vention and Control Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.) is 
further amended— 
(1) in section 1002(b)(2) by inserting a comma 
after ‘‘funded’’; 
(2) in section 1003 in paragraph (7) by striking 
‘‘Canandian’’ and inserting ‘‘Canadian’’; 
(3) in section 1203(a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(F) by inserting ‘‘and’’ 
after ‘‘research,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘encourage’’ 
and inserting ‘‘encouraged’’;
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(4) in section 1204(b)(4) in the paragraph heading 
by striking ‘‘ADMINISRATIVE’’ and inserting ‘‘ADMINIS-
TRATIVE’’; and 
(5) in section 1209 by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘section 1202(a)’’. 
SEC. 11328. SAFETY STANDARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4502 of title 46, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (i)(4) by striking ‘‘each of fiscal 
years 2018 through 2021’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 
2023’’; and 
(2) in subsection (j)(4) by striking ‘‘each of fiscal 
years 2018 through 2021’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 
2023’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 9 of 
the Maritime Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1958) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘each of fiscal 
years 2018 through 2022’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 
2023’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘2702(1)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘4902(1)’’. 
Subtitle E—Illegal Fishing and 
Forced Labor Prevention 
SEC. 11329. DEFINITIONS. 
In this subtitle:
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(1) FORCED
LABOR.—The term ‘‘forced labor’’ 
means any labor or service provided for or obtained by 
any means described in section 1589(a) of title 18, 
United States Code. 
(2) HUMAN TRAFFICKING.—The term ‘‘human traf-
ficking’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘severe forms 
of trafficking in persons’’ in section 103 of the Traf-
ficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
7102). 
(3) ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, OR
UNREGULATED 
FISHING.—The term ‘‘illegal, unreported, or unregulated 
fishing’’ has the meaning given such term in the imple-
menting regulations or any subsequent regulations 
issued pursuant to section 609(e) of the High Seas 
Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 
1826j(e)). 
(4) OPPRESSIVE CHILD LABOR.—The term ‘‘oppres-
sive child labor’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 3 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 
U.S.C. 203). 
(5) SEAFOOD.—The term ‘‘seafood’’ means all ma-
rine animal and plant life meant for consumption as 
food other than marine mammals and birds, including 
fish, shellfish, shellfish products, and processed fish.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(6) SEAFOOD IMPORT MONITORING PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘‘Seafood Import Monitoring Program’’ means the 
Seafood Traceability Program established in subpart Q 
of part 300 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
any successor regulation). 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the 
Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Sec-
retary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. 
CHAPTER 
1—COMBATING 
HUMAN 
TRAF-
FICKING THROUGH SEAFOOD IMPORT 
MONITORING 
SEC. 11330. ENHANCEMENT OF SEAFOOD IMPORT MONITORING 
PROGRAM MESSAGE SET IN AUTOMATED COM-
MERCIAL ENVIRONMENT SYSTEM. 
The Secretary, in coordination with the Commissioner of 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall, not later than 6 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, develop a 
strategy to improve the quality and verifiability of already 
collected Seafood Import Monitoring Program Message Set 
data elements in the Automated Commercial Environment 
system. Such strategy shall prioritize the use of enumerated 
data types, such as checkboxes, dropdown menus, or radio 
buttons, and any additional elements the Administrator of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finds ap-
propriate.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
SEC. 11331. DATA SHARING AND AGGREGATION. 
(a) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP ON ILLEGAL, UN-
REPORTED, OR UNREGULATED FISHING.—Section 3551(c) of 
the Maritime SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8031(c)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (13) 
as paragraphs (5) through (14), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: 
‘‘(4) maximizing the utility of the import data col-
lected by the members of the Working Group by harmo-
nizing data standards and entry fields;’’. 
(b) PROHIBITION ON AGGREGATED CATCH DATA FOR 
CERTAIN SPECIES.—Beginning not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, for the purposes of compli-
ance with respect to Northern red snapper under the Seafood 
Import Monitoring Program, the Secretary may not allow an 
aggregated harvest report of such species, regardless of vessel 
size. 
SEC. 11332. IMPORT AUDITS. 
(a) AUDIT PROCEDURES.—The Secretary shall, not later 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, imple-
ment procedures to audit information and supporting records 
of sufficient numbers of imports of seafood and seafood prod-
ucts subject to the Seafood Import Monitoring Program to 
support statistically robust conclusions that the samples au-
dited are representative of all seafood imports covered by the
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•HRES 1512 EH 
Seafood Import Monitoring Program with respect to a given 
year. 
(b) EXPANSION OF MARINE FORENSICS LABORATORY.— 
The Secretary shall, not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, begin the process of expanding the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine 
Forensics Laboratory, including by establishing sufficient ca-
pacity for the development and deployment of rapid, and fol-
low-up, analysis of field-based tests focused on identifying 
Seafood Import Monitoring Program species, and prioritizing 
such species at high risk of illegal, unreported, or unregulated 
fishing and seafood fraud. 
(c) ANNUAL REVISION.—In developing the procedures 
required in subsection (a), the Secretary shall use predictive 
analytics to inform whether to revise such procedures to 
prioritize for audit those imports originating from nations— 
(1) identified pursuant to section 609(a) or 610(a) 
of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protec-
tion Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j(a) or 1826k(a)) that have not 
yet received a subsequent positive certification pursuant 
to section 609(d) or 610(c) of such Act, respectively; 
(2) identified by an appropriate regional fishery 
management organization as being the flag state or 
landing location of vessels identified by other nations or
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•HRES 1512 EH 
regional fisheries management organizations as engaging 
in illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing; 
(3) identified as having human trafficking or forced 
labor in any part of the seafood supply chain, including 
on vessels flagged in such nation, and including feed for 
cultured production, in the most recent Trafficking in 
Persons Report issued by the Department of State in ac-
cordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.); 
(4) identified as producing goods that contain sea-
food using forced labor or oppressive child labor in the 
most recent List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or 
Forced Labor in accordance with the Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.); and 
(5) identified as at risk for human trafficking, in-
cluding forced labor, in their seafood catching and proc-
essing industries by the report required under section 
3563 of the Maritime SAFE Act (Public Law 116–92). 
SEC. 11333. AVAILABILITY OF FISHERIES INFORMATION. 
Section 402(b)(1) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1881a(b)(1)) 
is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (G) by striking ‘‘or’’ after the 
semicolon;
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(2) in subparagraph (H) by striking the period at 
the end of such subparagraph and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(I) to Federal agencies, to the extent nec-
essary and appropriate, to administer Federal pro-
grams established to combat illegal, unreported, or 
unregulated fishing or forced labor (as such terms 
are defined in section 11329 of the Don Young 
Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022), which 
shall not include an authorization for such agencies 
to release data to the public unless such release is 
related to enforcement.’’. 
SEC. 11334. REPORT ON SEAFOOD IMPORT MONITORING PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) REPORT TO CONGRESS AND PUBLIC AVAILABILITY 
OF REPORTS.—The Secretary shall, not later than 120 days 
after the end of each fiscal year, submit to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee 
on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Re-
sources and the Committee on Financial Services of the 
House of Representatives a report that summarizes the Na-
tional Marine Fisheries Service’s efforts to prevent the impor-
tation of seafood harvested through illegal, unreported, or un-
regulated fishing, particularly with respect to seafood har-
vested, produced, processed, or manufactured by forced labor.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
Each such report shall be made publicly available on the 
website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion. 
(b) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted under sub-
section (a) shall include— 
(1) the volume and value of seafood species subject 
to the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, reported by 
10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States codes, imported during the previous fiscal year; 
(2) the enforcement activities and priorities of the 
National Marine Fisheries Service with respect to imple-
menting the requirements under the Seafood Import 
Monitoring Program; 
(3) the percentage of import shipments subject to 
the Seafood Import Monitoring Program selected for in-
spection or the information or records supporting entry 
selected for audit, as described in section 300.324(d) of 
title 50, Code of Federal Regulations; 
(4) the number and types of instances of noncompli-
ance with the requirements of the Seafood Import Moni-
toring Program; 
(5) the number and types of instances of violations 
of State or Federal law discovered through the Seafood 
Import Monitoring Program;
3975 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(6) the seafood species with respect to which viola-
tions described in paragraphs (4) and (5) were most 
prevalent; 
(7) the location of catch or harvest with respect to 
which violations described in paragraphs (4) and (5) 
were most prevalent; 
(8) the additional tools, such as high performance 
computing and associated costs, that the Secretary needs 
to improve the efficacy of the Seafood Import Moni-
toring Program; and 
(9) such other information as the Secretary con-
siders appropriate with respect to monitoring and enforc-
ing compliance with the Seafood Import Monitoring Pro-
gram. 
SEC. 11335. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Commis-
sioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to carry out 
enforcement actions pursuant to section 307 of the Tariff Act 
of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1307) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2027.
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CHAPTER 
2—STRENGTHENING 
INTER-
NATIONAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT TO 
COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING 
SEC. 11336. DENIAL OF PORT PRIVILEGES. 
Section 101(a)(2) of the High Seas Driftnet Fisheries 
Enforcement Act (16 U.S.C. 1826a(a)(2)) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(2) DENIAL OF PORT PRIVILEGES.—The Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall, in accordance with inter-
national law— 
‘‘(A) withhold or revoke the clearance required 
by section 60105 of title 46, United States Code, 
for any large-scale driftnet fishing vessel of a nation 
that receives a negative certification under section 
609(d) or 610(c) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing 
Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j(d) or 
1826k(c)), or fishing vessels of a nation that has 
been listed pursuant to section 609(b) or section 
610(a) of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1826j(b) or 
1826k(a)) in 2 or more consecutive reports for the 
same type of fisheries activity, as described under 
section 607 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 1826h), until a 
positive certification has been received; 
‘‘(B) withhold or revoke the clearance required 
by section 60105 of title 46, United States Code,
3977 
•HRES 1512 EH 
for fishing vessels of a nation that has been listed 
pursuant to section 609(a) or 610(a) of the High 
Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1826j(a) or 1826k(a)) in 2 or more con-
secutive reports as described under section 607 of 
such Act (16 U.S.C. 1826h); and 
‘‘(C) deny entry of that vessel to any place in 
the United States and to the navigable waters of 
the United States, except for the purposes of in-
specting such vessel, conducting an investigation, or 
taking other appropriate enforcement action.’’. 
SEC. 11337. IDENTIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION CRITERIA. 
(a) DENIAL OF PORT PRIVILEGES.—Section 609(a) of 
the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1826j(a)) is amended— 
(1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) FOR ACTIONS OF A NATION.—The Secretary 
shall identify, and list in such report, a nation engaging 
in or endorsing illegal, unreported, or unregulated fish-
ing. In determining which nations to list in such report, 
the Secretary shall consider the following: 
‘‘(A) Any nation that is violating, or has vio-
lated at any point during the 3 years preceding the 
date of the determination, conservation and man-
3978 
•HRES 1512 EH 
agement measures, including catch and other data 
reporting obligations and requirements, required 
under an international fishery management agree-
ment to which the United States is a party. 
‘‘(B) Any nation that is failing, or has failed 
in the 3-year period preceding the date of the deter-
mination, to effectively address or regulate illegal, 
unreported, or unregulated fishing within its fleets 
in any areas where its vessels are fishing. 
‘‘(C) Any nation that fails to discharge duties 
incumbent upon it under international law or prac-
tice as a flag, port, or coastal state to take action 
to prevent, deter, and eliminate illegal, unreported, 
or unregulated fishing. 
‘‘(D) Any nation that has been identified as 
producing for export to the United States seafood- 
related goods through forced labor or oppressive 
child labor (as those terms are defined in section 
11329 of the Don Young Coast Guard Authoriza-
tion Act of 2022) in the most recent List of Goods 
Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor in ac-
cordance with the Trafficking Victims Protection 
Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following:
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•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(4) TIMING.—The Secretary shall make an identi-
fication under paragraph (1) or (2) at any time that the 
Secretary has sufficient information to make such identi-
fication.’’. 
(b) ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, OR UNREGULATED CER-
TIFICATION DETERMINATION.—Section 609 of the High Seas 
Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 
1826j) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d) by striking paragraph (3) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(3) EFFECT
OF
CERTIFICATION
DETERMINA-
TION.— 
‘‘(A) EFFECT OF NEGATIVE CERTIFICATION.— 
The provisions of subsection (a) and paragraphs (3) 
and (4) of subsection (b) of section 101 of the High 
Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act (16 
U.S.C. 1826a(a) and (b)(3) and (4)) shall apply to 
any nation that, after being identified and notified 
under subsection (b) has failed to take the appro-
priate corrective actions for which the Secretary has 
issued a negative certification under this subsection. 
‘‘(B) EFFECT OF POSITIVE CERTIFICATION.— 
The provisions of subsection (a) and paragraphs (3) 
and (4) of subsection (b) of section 101 of the High 
Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act (16
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•HRES 1512 EH 
U.S.C. 1826a(a) and (b)(3) and (4)) shall not apply 
to any nation identified under subsection (a) for 
which the Secretary has issued a positive certifi-
cation under this subsection.’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as sub-
sections (f) and (g), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following: 
‘‘(e) RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary 
shall ensure that seafood or seafood products authorized for 
entry under this section are imported consistent with the re-
porting and the recordkeeping requirements of the Seafood 
Import Monitoring Program described in part 300.324(b) of 
title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation).’’. 
SEC. 11338. EQUIVALENT CONSERVATION MEASURES. 
(a) IDENTIFICATION.—Section 610(a) of the High Seas 
Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 
1826k(a)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) IDENTIFICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall identify 
and list in the report under section 607— 
‘‘(A) a nation if— 
‘‘(i) any fishing vessel of that nation is en-
gaged, or has been engaged during the 3 years 
preceding the date of the determination, in
3981 
•HRES 1512 EH 
fishing activities or practices on the high seas 
or within the exclusive economic zone of any 
nation, that have resulted in bycatch of a pro-
tected living marine resource; and 
‘‘(ii) the vessel’s flag state has not adopt-
ed, implemented, and enforced a regulatory 
program governing such fishing designed to 
end or reduce such bycatch that is comparable 
in effectiveness to the regulatory program of 
the United States, taking into account dif-
fering conditions; and 
‘‘(B) a nation if— 
‘‘(i) any fishing vessel of that nation is en-
gaged, or has engaged during the 3 years pre-
ceding the date of the determination, in fishing 
activities on the high seas or within the exclu-
sive economic zone of another nation that tar-
get or incidentally catch sharks; and 
‘‘(ii) the vessel’s flag state has not adopt-
ed, implemented, and enforced a regulatory 
program to provide for the conservation of 
sharks, including measures to prohibit removal 
of any of the fins of a shark, including the tail, 
before landing the shark in port, that is com-
parable to that of the United States.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(2) TIMING.—The Secretary shall make an identi-
fication under paragraph (1) at any time that the Sec-
retary has sufficient information to make such identifica-
tion.’’. 
(b) CONSULTATION AND NEGOTIATION.—Section 610(b) 
of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1826k(b)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) CONSULTATION
AND
NEGOTIATION.—The Sec-
retary of State, acting in consultation with the Secretary, 
shall— 
‘‘(1) notify, as soon as practicable, the President 
and nations that are engaged in, or that have any fish-
ing vessels engaged in, fishing activities or practices de-
scribed in subsection (a), about the provisions of this 
Act; 
‘‘(2) initiate discussions as soon as practicable with 
all foreign nations that are engaged in, or a fishing ves-
sel of which has engaged in, fishing activities described 
in subsection (a), for the purpose of entering into bilat-
eral and multilateral treaties with such nations to pro-
tect such species and to address any underlying failings 
or gaps that may have contributed to identification 
under this Act; 
‘‘(3) seek agreements calling for international re-
strictions on fishing activities or practices described in
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•HRES 1512 EH 
subsection (a) through the United Nations, the Com-
mittee on Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organi-
zation of the United Nations, and appropriate inter-
national fishery management bodies; and 
‘‘(4) initiate the amendment of any existing inter-
national treaty for the protection and conservation of 
such species to which the United States is a party in 
order to make such treaty consistent with the purposes 
and policies of this section.’’. 
(c) CONSERVATION CERTIFICATION PROCEDURE.—Sec-
tion 610(c) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium 
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826k(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2) by inserting ‘‘the public and’’ 
after ‘‘comment by’’; 
(2) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A) by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (B) by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) ensure that any such fish or fish products 
authorized for entry under this section are imported 
consistent with the reporting and the recordkeeping 
requirements of the Seafood Import Monitoring 
Program established in subpart Q of part 300 of
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•HRES 1512 EH 
title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or any suc-
cessor regulation).’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (5) by striking ‘‘(except to the ex-
tent that such provisions apply to sport fishing equip-
ment or fish or fish products not caught by the vessels 
engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing)’’. 
(d) DEFINITION OF PROTECTED LIVING MARINE RE-
SOURCE.—Section 610(e) of the High Seas Driftnet Fishing 
Moratorium Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1826k(e)) is amended 
by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) except as provided in paragraph (2), means 
nontarget fish, sea turtles, or marine mammals that are 
protected under United States law or international 
agreement, including— 
‘‘(A) the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 
1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.); 
‘‘(B) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); 
‘‘(C) the Shark Finning Prohibition Act (16 
U.S.C. 1822 note); and 
‘‘(D) the Convention on International Trade in 
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, done 
at Washington March 3, 1973 (27 UST 1087; 
TIAS 8249); but’’.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
SEC. 11339. CAPACITY BUILDING IN FOREIGN FISHERIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with 
the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall de-
velop and carry out with partner governments and civil soci-
ety— 
(1) multi-year international environmental coopera-
tion agreements and projects; and 
(2) multi-year capacity-building projects for imple-
menting measures to address illegal, unreported, or un-
regulated fishing, fraud, forced labor, bycatch, and other 
conservation measures. 
(b) CAPACITY BUILDING.—Section 3543(d) of the Mari-
time SAFE Act (16 U.S.C. 8013(d)) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by strik-
ing ‘‘as appropriate,’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘as appropriate’’ 
and inserting ‘‘for all priority regions identified by the 
Working Group’’. 
(c) REPORTS.—Section 3553 of the Maritime SAFE Act 
(16 U.S.C. 8033) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (7) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (8) by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following:
3986 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(9) the status of work with global enforcement 
partners.’’. 
SEC. 11340. TRAINING OF UNITED STATES OBSERVERS. 
Section 403(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Con-
servation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1881b(b)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 
(5); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: 
‘‘(4) ensure that each observer has received training 
to identify indicators of forced labor and human traf-
ficking (as such terms are defined in section 11329 of 
the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022) 
and refer this information to appropriate authorities; 
and’’. 
SEC. 11341. REGULATIONS. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as may 
be necessary to carry out this subtitle and the amendments 
made by this subtitle.
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TITLE CXIV—SUPPORT FOR COAST 
GUARD WORKFORCE 
Subtitle A—Support for Coast Guard 
Members and Families 
SEC. 11401. COAST GUARD CHILD CARE IMPROVEMENTS. 
(a) FAMILY
DISCOUNT
FOR
CHILD
DEVELOPMENT 
SERVICES.—Section 2922(b)(2) of title 14, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) In the case of an active duty member with two or 
more children attending a Coast Guard child development 
center, the Commandant may modify the fees to be charged 
for attendance for the second and any subsequent child of 
such member by an amount that is 15 percent less than the 
amount of the fee otherwise chargeable for the attendance of 
the first such child enrolled at the center, or another fee as 
the Commandant determines appropriate, consistent with 
multiple children.’’. 
(b) CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER STANDARDS AND IN-
SPECTIONS.—Section 2923(a) of title 14, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) STANDARDS.—The Commandant shall require each 
Coast Guard child development center to meet standards of 
operation—
3988 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(1) that the Commandant considers appropriate to 
ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the children and 
employees at the center; and 
‘‘(2) necessary for accreditation by an appropriate 
national early childhood programs accrediting entity.’’. 
(c) CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 
29 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘§ 2927. Child care subsidy program 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—The Commandant may operate 
a child care subsidy program to provide financial assist-
ance to eligible providers that provide child care services 
or youth program services to members of the Coast 
Guard, members of the Coast Guard with dependents 
who are participating in the child care subsidy program, 
and any other individual the Commandant considers ap-
propriate, if— 
‘‘(A) providing such financial assistance— 
‘‘(i) is in the best interests of the Coast 
Guard; and 
‘‘(ii) enables supplementation or expansion 
of the provision of Coast Guard child care serv-
3989 
•HRES 1512 EH 
ices, while not supplanting or replacing Coast 
Guard child care services; and 
‘‘(B) the Commandant ensures, to the extent 
practicable, that the eligible provider is able to com-
ply, and does comply, with the regulations, policies, 
and standards applicable to Coast Guard child care 
services. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE
PROVIDERS.—A provider of child 
care services or youth program services is eligible for fi-
nancial assistance under this section if the provider— 
‘‘(A) is licensed to provide such services under 
applicable State and local law or meets all applica-
ble State and local health and safety requirements 
if licensure is not required; 
‘‘(B) is either— 
‘‘(i) is a family home daycare; or 
‘‘(ii) is a provider of family child care 
services that— 
‘‘(I) 
otherwise 
provides 
federally 
funded or federally sponsored child devel-
opment services; 
‘‘(II) provides such services in a child 
development center owned and operated 
by a private, not-for-profit organization;
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•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(III) provides a before-school or 
after-school child care program in a public 
school facility; 
‘‘(IV) conducts an otherwise federally 
funded or federally sponsored school-age 
child care or youth services program; or 
‘‘(V) conducts a school-age child care 
or youth services program operated by a 
not-for-profit organization; or 
‘‘(C) is a provider of another category of child 
care services or youth program services the Com-
mandant considers appropriate for meeting the 
needs of members or civilian employees of the Coast 
Guard. 
‘‘(3) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR IN-HOME CHILD 
CARE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Commandant may 
provide financial assistance to members of the 
Coast Guard who pay for services provided by in- 
home child care providers. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out such 
program, the Commandant shall establish a policy 
and procedures to—
3991 
•HRES 1512 EH 
‘‘(i) support the needs of families who re-
quest services provided by in-home childcare 
providers; 
‘‘(ii) provide the appropriate amount of fi-
nancial assistance to provide to families de-
scribed in paragraph, that is at minimum con-
sistent with the program authorized in sub-
section (a)(1); and 
‘‘(iii) ensure the appropriate qualifications 
for such in-home child care provider, which 
shall at minimum— 
‘‘(I) take into consideration qualifica-
tions for available in-home child care pro-
viders in the private sector; and 
‘‘(II) ensure that the qualifications 
the Commandant determines appropriate 
under this paragraph are comparable to 
the qualifications for a provider of child 
care services in a Coast Guard child devel-
opment center or family home day care. 
‘‘(b) DIRECT PAYMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out a child care 
subsidy program under subsection (a)(1), subject to 
paragraph (3), the Commandant shall provide financial 
assistance under the program to an eligible member or
3992 
•HRES 1512 EH 
individual the Commandant considers appropriate by di-
rect payment to such eligible member or individual 
through monthly pay, direct deposit, or other direct form 
of payment. 
‘‘(2) POLICY.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Commandant 
shall establish a policy to provide direct payment as de-
scribed in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE
PROVIDER
FUNDING
CONTINU-
ATION.—With the approval of an eligible member or an 
individual the Commandant considers appropriate, which 
shall include the written consent of such member or indi-
vidual, the Commandant may continue to provide finan-
cial assistance under the child care subsidy program di-
rectly to an eligible provider on behalf of such member 
or individual. 
‘‘(4) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
subsection may be construed to affect any preexisting re-
imbursement arrangement between the Coast Guard and 
a qualified provider.’’. 
(B) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 
chapter 29 of title 14, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 2926 the following: 
‘‘2927. Child care subsidy program.’’.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(2) EXPANSION
OF
CHILD
CARE
SUBSIDY
PRO-
GRAM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall— 
(i) evaluate potential eligible uses for the 
child care subsidy program established under 
section 2927 of title 14, United States Code 
(referred to in this paragraph as the ‘‘pro-
gram’’); 
(ii) expand the eligible uses of funds for 
the program to accommodate the child care 
needs of members of the Coast Guard (includ-
ing such members with nonstandard work 
hours and surge or other deployment cycles), 
including in-home care as described in section 
2927(a)(3) of title 14, United States Code, and 
including by providing funds directly to such 
members instead of care providers; and 
(iii) streamline enrollment policies, prac-
tices, paperwork, and requirements for eligible 
child care providers to reduce barriers for 
members to enroll in such providers. 
(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In evaluating potential 
eligible uses under subparagraph (A), the Com-
mandant shall consider in-home child care services, 
care services such as supplemental care for children
3994 
•HRES 1512 EH 
with disabilities, and any other child care delivery 
method the Commandant considers appropriate. 
(C) 
REQUIREMENTS.—In 
establishing 
ex-
panded eligible uses of funds for the program, the 
Commandant shall ensure that such uses— 
(i) are in the best interests of the Coast 
Guard; 
(ii) provide flexibility for members of the 
Coast Guard, including such members and em-
ployees with nonstandard work hours; and 
(iii) ensure a safe environment for depend-
ents of such members and employees. 
(D) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 18 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Commandant shall publish an updated Com-
mandant Instruction Manual (referred to in this 
paragraph as the ‘‘manual’’) that describes the ex-
panded eligible uses of the program. 
(E) REPORT.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Commandant shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate and the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the
3995 
•HRES 1512 EH 
House of Representatives a report outlining 
the expansion of the program. 
(ii) ELEMENTS.—The report required by 
clause (i) shall include the following: 
(I) An analysis of the considerations 
described in subparagraph (B). 
(II) A description of the analysis 
used to identify eligible uses that were 
evaluated and incorporated into the man-
ual under subparagraph (D). 
(III) A full analysis and justification 
with respect to the forms of care that 
were ultimately not included in the man-
ual. 
(IV) Any recommendation with re-
spect to funding or additional authorities 
necessary, including proposals for legisla-
tive change, to meet the current and an-
ticipated future child care subsidy de-
mands of the Coast Guard. 
(V) A description of the steps taken 
to streamline enrollment policies, prac-
tices, and requirements for eligible child 
care providers in accordance with para-
graph (2)(A)(iii).
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•HRES 1512 EH 
SEC. 11402. ARMED FORCES ACCESS TO COAST GUARD CHILD 
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. 
Section 2922(a) of title 14, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a)(1) The Commandant may make child development 
services available, in such priority as the Commandant con-
siders to be appropriate and consistent with readiness and re-
sources and in the best interests of dependents of members 
and civilian employees of the Coast Guard, for— 
‘‘(A) members and civilian employees of the Coast 
Guard; 
‘‘(B) surviving dependents of service members who 
have died on active duty, if such dependents were bene-
ficiaries of a Coast Guard child development service at 
the time of the death of such members; 
‘‘(C) members of the armed forces (as defined in 
section 101(a) of title 10); and 
‘‘(D) Federal civilian employees. 
‘‘(2) Child development service benefits provided under 
the authority of this section shall be in addition to benefits 
provided under other laws.’’. 
SEC. 11403. CADET PREGNANCY POLICY IMPROVEMENTS. 
(a) REGULATIONS
REQUIRED.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall 
prescribe regulations for the Coast Guard Academy consistent
3997 
•HRES 1512 EH 
with regulations required to be promulgated by section 559(a) 
of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 (Public 
Law 117–81). 
(b) BRIEFING.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives a briefing on the 
development of the regulations required by subsection (a). 
SEC. 11404. COMBAT-RELATED SPECIAL COMPENSATION. 
(a) REPORT AND BRIEFING.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 180 days 
thereafter until the date that is 5 years after the date on 
which the initial report is submitted under this subsection, 
the Commandant shall submit a report and provide an in-per-
son briefing to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 
on the implementation of section 221 of the Coast Guard Au-
thorization Act of 2016 (Public Law 114–120; 10 U.S.C. 
1413a note). 
(b) ELEMENTS.—Each report and briefing required by 
subsection (a) shall include the following:
3998 
•HRES 1512 EH 
(1) A description of methods to educate members 
and retirees on the combat-related special compensation 
program. 
(2) Statistics regarding enrollment in such program 
for members of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard retir-
ees. 
(3) A summary of each of the following: 
(A) Activities carried out relating to the edu-
cation of members of the Coast Guard participating 
in the Transition Assistance Program with respect 
to the combat-related special compensation pro-
gram. 
(B) Activities carried out relating to the edu-
cation of members of the Coast Guard who are en-
gaged in missions in which they are susceptible to 
injuries that may result in qualification for combat- 
related special compensation, including flight school, 
the National Motor Lifeboat School, deployable spe-
cial forces, and other training programs as the 
Commandant considers appropriate. 
(C) Activities carried out relating to training 
physicians and physician assistants employed by the 
Coast Guard, or otherwise stationed in Coast Guard 
clinics, sickbays, or other locations at which medical 
care is provided to members of the Coast Guard, for
3999 
•HRES 1512 EH 
the purpose of ensuring, during medical examina-
tions, appropriate counseling and documentation of 
symptoms, injuries, and the associated incident that 
resulted in such injuries. 
(D) Activities relating to the notification of 
heath service officers with respect to the combat-re-
lated special compensation program. 
(4) The written guidance provided to members of 
the Coast Guard regarding necessary recordkeeping to 
ensure eligibility for benefits under such program. 
(5) Any other matter relating to combat-related 
special compensation the Commandant considers appro-
priate. 
(c) DISABILITY DUE TO CHEMICAL OR HAZARDOUS MA-
TERIAL EXPOSURE.—Section 221(a) of the Coast Guard Au-
thorization Act of 2016 (Public Law 114–120; 10 U.S.C. 
1413a note) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘department is’’ 
and inserting ‘‘department in’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and hazardous’’ and in-
serting ‘‘hazardous’’; and
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(ii) by inserting ‘‘, or a duty in which 
chemical or other hazardous material exposure 
has occurred (such as during marine inspec-
tions or pollution response activities)’’ after 
‘‘surfman)’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by striking‘‘paragraph (1) or para-
graph (2) of’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘, including—’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘search and rescue; or’’ 
and inserting ‘‘; or’’. 
SEC. 11405. STUDY ON FOOD SECURITY. 
(a) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall conduct 
a study on food insecurity among members of the Coast 
Guard. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The study required under para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) An analysis of the impact of food deserts 
on members of the Coast Guard and their depend-
ents who live in areas with high costs of living, in-
cluding areas with high-density populations and 
rural areas. 
(B) A comparison of—
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(i) the current method used by the Com-
mandant to determine which areas are consid-
ered to be high cost-of-living areas; 
(ii) local-level indicators used by the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics to determine a cost of 
living that indicates buying power and con-
sumer spending in specific geographic areas; 
and 
(iii) indicators of the cost of living used by 
the Department of Agriculture in market bas-
ket analyses and other measures of the local or 
regional cost of food. 
(C) An assessment of the accuracy of the 
method and indicators described in subparagraph 
(B) in quantifying high cost of living in low-data 
and remote areas. 
(D) An assessment of the manner in which 
data accuracy and availability affect the accuracy of 
cost-of-living allowance calculations and other bene-
fits, as the Commandant considers appropriate. 
(E) Recommendations— 
(i) to improve access to high-quality, af-
fordable food within a reasonable distance of 
Coast Guard units located in areas identified 
as food deserts;
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(ii) to reduce transit costs for members of 
the Coast Guard and their dependents who are 
required to travel to access high-quality, af-
fordable food; and 
(iii) for improving the accuracy of the cal-
culations referred to in subparagraph (D). 
(F) The estimated costs of implementing each 
recommendation made under subparagraph (E). 
(b) PLAN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall develop 
a detailed plan to implement the recommendations of the 
study conducted under subsection (a). 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall pro-
vide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives a briefing on the plan required under para-
graph (1), including the cost of implementation, pro-
posals for legislative change, and any other result of the 
study the Commandant considers appropriate. 
(c) FOOD DESERT DEFINED.—In this section, the term 
‘‘food desert’’ means an area, as determined by the Com-
mandant, in which it is difficult, even with a vehicle or an 
otherwise-available mode of transportation, to obtain afford-
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able, high-quality fresh food in the immediate area in which 
members of the Coast Guard serve and reside. 
Subtitle B—Healthcare 
SEC. 11406. DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL STAFFING STANDARDS 
FOR COAST GUARD. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant, in consulta-
tion with the Defense Health Agency and any healthcare ex-
pert the Commandant considers appropriate, shall develop 
medical staffing standards for the Coast Guard that are con-
sistent with the recommendations of the Comptroller General 
of the United States set forth in the report titled ‘‘Coast 
Guard Health Care: Improvements Needed for Determining 
Staffing Needs and Monitoring Access to Care’’ and pub-
lished in February 2022. 
(b) INCLUSIONS.—In developing the standards under 
subsection (a), the Commandant shall address and take into 
consideration the following: 
(1) Current and future operations of healthcare per-
sonnel in support of Department of Homeland Security 
missions, including surge deployments for incident re-
sponse. 
(2) Staffing standards for specialized providers, in-
cluding flight surgeons, dentists, behavioral health spe-
cialists, and physical therapists.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(3) Staffing levels of medical, dental, and behavioral 
health providers for the Coast Guard who are— 
(A) members of the Coast Guard; 
(B) assigned to the Coast Guard from the 
Public Health Service; 
(C) Federal civilian employees; or 
(D) contractors hired by the Coast Guard to 
fill vacancies. 
(4) Staffing levels at medical facilities for Coast 
Guard units in remote locations. 
(5) Any discrepancy between medical staffing stand-
ards of the Department of Defense and medical staffing 
standards of the Coast Guard. 
(c) REVIEW
BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL.—Not later 
than 90 days after the Commandant completes the staffing 
standards required by subsection (a), the Commandant shall 
submit the standards to the Comptroller General, who shall 
review the standards and provide recommendations to the 
Commandant. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 
after developing the standards developed under subsection 
(a), the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives a report on the standards developed
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•HRES 1512 EH 
under subsection (a) and the recommendations provided 
under subsection (c) that includes a plan and a description 
of the resources and budgetary needs required to implement 
the standards. 
(e) MODIFICATION, IMPLEMENTATION, AND PERIODIC 
UPDATES.—The Commandant shall— 
(1) modify such standards, as necessary, based on 
the recommendations under subsection (c); 
(2) implement the standards; and 
(3) review and update the standards not less fre-
quently than every 4 years. 
SEC. 11407. HEALTHCARE SYSTEM REVIEW AND STRATEGIC 
PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 270 days after the 
completion of the studies conducted by the Comptroller Gen-
eral of the United States under sections 8259 and 8260 of 
the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Author-
ization Act of Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283; 134 
Stat. 4679), the Commandant shall— 
(1) conduct a comprehensive review of the Coast 
Guard healthcare system; and 
(2) develop a strategic plan for improvements to, 
and the modernization of, such system to ensure access 
to high-quality, timely healthcare for members of the
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•HRES 1512 EH 
Coast Guard, their dependents, and applicable Coast 
Guard retirees. 
(b) PLAN.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The strategic plan developed 
under subsection (a) shall seek to— 
(A) maximize the medical readiness of mem-
bers of the Coast Guard; 
(B) optimize delivery of healthcare benefits; 
(C) ensure high-quality training of Coast 
Guard medical personnel; and 
(D) prepare for the future needs of the Coast 
Guard. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The plan shall address, at a min-
imum, the following: 
(A) Improving access to healthcare for mem-
bers of the Coast Guard, their dependents, and ap-
plicable Coast Guard retirees. 
(B) Quality of healthcare. 
(C) The experience and satisfaction of mem-
bers of the Coast Guard and their dependents with 
the Coast Guard healthcare system. 
(D) The readiness of members of the Coast 
Guard and Coast Guard medical personnel. 
(c) REVIEW COMMITTEE.—
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(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Commandant shall es-
tablish a review committee to conduct a comprehensive 
analysis of the Coast Guard healthcare system (referred 
to in this section as the ‘‘Review Committee’’). 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Review Committee shall be 
composed of members selected by the Commandant, in-
cluding— 
(A) 1 or more members of the uniformed serv-
ices (as defined in section 101 of title 10, United 
States Code) or Federal employees, either of which 
have expertise in— 
(i) the medical, dental, pharmacy, or be-
havioral health fields; or 
(ii) any other field the Commandant con-
siders appropriate; 
(B) 1 representative of the Defense Health 
Agency; and 
(C) 1 medical representative from each Coast 
Guard district. 
(3) CHAIRPERSON.—The chairperson of the Review 
Committee shall be the Director of the Health, Safety, 
and Work Life Directorate of the Coast Guard. 
(4) STAFF.—The Review Committee shall be staffed 
by employees of the Coast Guard.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(5) REPORT TO COMMANDANT.—Not later than 1 
year after the Review Committee is established, the Re-
view Committee shall submit to the Commandant a re-
port that— 
(A) assesses, taking into consideration the 
medical staffing standards developed under section 
11406, the recommended medical staffing standards 
set forth in the Comptroller General study required 
by section 8260 of the William M. (Mac) Thorn-
berry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283; 134 Stat. 4679), 
and compares such standards to the medical staff-
ing standards of the Department of Defense and 
the private sector; 
(B) addresses improvements needed to ensure 
continuity of care for members of the Coast Guard, 
including by evaluating the feasibility of having a 
dedicated primary care manager for each such 
member while the member is stationed at a duty 
station; 
(C) evaluates the effects of increased surge de-
ployments of medical personnel on staffing needs at 
Coast Guard clinics; 
(D) identifies ways to improve access to care 
for members of the Coast Guard and their depend-
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•HRES 1512 EH 
ents who are stationed in remote areas, including 
methods to expand access to providers in the avail-
able network; 
(E) identifies ways the Coast Guard may bet-
ter use Department of Defense Military Health Sys-
tem resources for members of the Coast Guard, 
their dependents, and applicable Coast Guard retir-
ees; 
(F) identifies barriers to participation in the 
Coast Guard healthcare system and ways the Coast 
Guard may better use patient feedback to improve 
quality of care at Coast Guard-owned facilities, 
military treatment facilities, and specialist referrals; 
(G) includes recommendations to improve the 
Coast Guard healthcare system; and 
(H) any other matter the Commandant or the 
Review Committee considers appropriate. 
(6) TERMINATION.—The Review Committee shall 
terminate on the date that is 1 year after the date on 
which the Review Committee submits the report required 
under paragraph (5). 
(7) INAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Review Committee.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(d) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant 
shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure of the House of Representa-
tives— 
(1) the strategic plan for the Coast Guard medical 
system required under subsection (a); 
(2) the report of the Review Committee submitted 
to the Commandant under subsection (c)(5); and 
(3) a description of the manner in which the Com-
mandant plans to implement the recommendations of the 
Review Committee. 
SEC. 11408. DATA COLLECTION AND ACCESS TO CARE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant, in consulta-
tion with the Defense Health Agency and any healthcare ex-
pert the Commandant considers appropriate, shall develop, 
and make publicly available, a policy to require the collection 
of data regarding access by members of the Coast Guard and 
their dependents to medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare 
as recommended by the Comptroller General of the United 
States in the report entitled ‘‘Coast Guard Health Care: Im-
provements Needed for Determining Staffing Needs and 
Monitoring Access to Care’’, published in February 2022.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The policy required by subsection (a) 
shall address the following: 
(1) Methods to collect data on access to care for— 
(A) routine annual physical health assess-
ments; 
(B) flight physicals for aviators or prospective 
aviators; 
(C) sick call; 
(D) injuries; 
(E) dental health; and 
(F) behavioral health conditions. 
(2) Collection of data on access to care for referrals. 
(3) Collection of data on access to care for members 
of the Coast Guard stationed at remote units, aboard 
Coast Guard cutters, and on deployments. 
(4) Use of the electronic health record system to 
improve data collection on access to care. 
(5) Use of data for addressing the standards of 
care, including time between requests for appointments 
and actual appointments, including appointments made 
with referral services. 
(c) PUBLICATION
AND REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—Not 
later than 90 days after the policy under subsection (a) is 
completed, or any subsequent updates to such policy, the 
Commandant shall—
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(1) publish the policy on a publicly accessible inter-
net website of the Coast Guard; and 
(2) submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the policy and the manner in 
which the Commandant plans to address access-to-care 
deficiencies. 
(d) PERIODIC UPDATES.—Not less frequently than every 
5 years, the Commandant shall review and update the policy 
required under subsection (a). 
SEC. 11409. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH POLICY. 
(a) INTERIM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH POLICY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall 
establish an interim behavioral health policy for mem-
bers of the Coast Guard that is in parity with section 
5.28 (relating to behavioral health) of Department of 
Defense Instruction 6130.03, volume 2, ‘‘Medical Stand-
ards for Military Service: Retention’’. 
(2) TERMINATION.—The interim policy established 
under paragraph (1) shall remain in effect until the date 
on which the Commandant issues a permanent behav-
ioral health policy for members of the Coast Guard.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(b) PERMANENT POLICY.—In developing a permanent 
policy with respect to retention and behavioral health, the 
Commandant shall ensure that, to the extent practicable, the 
policy of the Coast Guard is in parity with section 5.28 (re-
lating to behavioral health) of Department of Defense In-
struction 6130.03, volume 2, ‘‘Medical Standards for Military 
Service: Retention’’. 
SEC. 11410. MEMBERS ASSERTING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS 
DISORDER OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 25 of title 
14, United States Code, is further amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 2516. Members asserting post-traumatic stress dis-
order or traumatic brain injury 
‘‘(a) MEDICAL EXAMINATION REQUIRED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall ensure that 
a member of the Coast Guard who has performed Coast 
Guard operations or has been sexually assaulted during 
the preceding 2-year period, and who is diagnosed by an 
appropriate licensed or certified healthcare professional 
as experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder or trau-
matic brain injury or who otherwise alleges, based on the 
service of the member or based on such sexual assault, 
the influence of such a condition, receives a medical ex-
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•HRES 1512 EH 
amination to evaluate a diagnosis of post-traumatic 
stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. 
‘‘(2) RESTRICTION
ON
ADMINISTRATIVE
SEPARA-
TION.—A member described in paragraph (1) shall not 
be administratively separated under conditions other 
than honorable, including an administrative separation 
in lieu of a court-martial, until the results of the medical 
examination have been reviewed by appropriate authori-
ties responsible for evaluating, reviewing, and approving 
the separation case, as determined by the Secretary. 
‘‘(3) POST-TRAUMATIC
STRESS
DISORDER.—In a 
case involving post-traumatic stress disorder under this 
subsection, a medical examination shall be— 
‘‘(A) performed by— 
‘‘(i) a board-certified or board-eligible psy-
chiatrist; or 
‘‘(ii) a licensed doctorate-level psycholo-
gist; or 
‘‘(B) performed under the close supervision 
of— 
‘‘(i) a board-certified or board-eligible psy-
chiatrist; or 
‘‘(ii) a licensed doctorate-level psycholo-
gist, a doctorate-level mental health provider, a 
psychiatry resident, or a clinical or counseling
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•HRES 1512 EH 
psychologist who has completed a 1-year in-
ternship or residency. 
‘‘(4) TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.—In a case involv-
ing traumatic brain injury under this subsection, a med-
ical examination shall be performed by a physiatrist, 
psychiatrist, neurosurgeon, or neurologist. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSE OF MEDICAL EXAMINATION.—The med-
ical examination required under subsection (a) shall assess 
whether the effects of mental or neurocognitive disorders, in-
cluding post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain 
injury, constitute matters in extenuation that relate to the 
basis for administrative separation under conditions other 
than honorable or the overall characterization of the service 
of the member as other than honorable. 
‘‘(c) INAPPLICABILITY TO PROCEEDINGS UNDER UNI-
FORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE.—The medical examina-
tion and procedures required by this section do not apply to 
courts-martial or other proceedings conducted pursuant to 
the Uniform Code of Military Justice. 
‘‘(d) COAST GUARD OPERATIONS DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘Coast Guard operations’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 888(a) of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 468(a)).’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for chapter 
25 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by inserting
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after the item relating to section 2515 (as added by this Act) 
the following: 
‘‘2516. Members asserting post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain in-
jury.’’. 
SEC. 11411. IMPROVEMENTS TO PHYSICAL DISABILITY EVALUA-
TION SYSTEM AND TRANSITION PROGRAM. 
(a) TEMPORARY POLICY.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall de-
velop a temporary policy that— 
(1) improves timeliness, communication, and out-
comes for members of the Coast Guard undergoing the 
Physical Disability Evaluation System, or a related for-
mal or informal process; 
(2) affords maximum career transition benefits to 
members of the Coast Guard determined by a Medical 
Evaluation Board to be unfit for retention in the Coast 
Guard; and 
(3) maximizes the potential separation and career 
transition benefits for members of the Coast Guard un-
dergoing the Physical Disability Evaluation System, or a 
related formal or informal process. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The policy required under subsection 
(a) shall include the following: 
(1) A requirement that any member of the Coast 
Guard who is undergoing the Physical Disability Evalua-
tion System, or a related formal or informal process,
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•HRES 1512 EH 
shall be placed in a duty status that allows the member 
the opportunity to attend necessary medical appoint-
ments and other activities relating to the Physical Dis-
ability Evaluation System, including completion of any 
application of the Department of Veterans Affairs and 
career transition planning. 
(2) In the case of a Medical Evaluation Board re-
port that is not completed not later than 120 days after 
the date on which an evaluation by the Medical Evalua-
tion Board was initiated, the option for such a member 
to enter permissive duty status. 
(3) A requirement that the date of initiation of an 
evaluation by a Medical Evaluation Board shall include 
the date on which any verbal or written affirmation is 
made to the member, command, or medical staff that the 
evaluation by the Medical Evaluation Board has been 
initiated. 
(4) An option for such member to seek an intern-
ship under the SkillBridge program established under 
section 1143(e) of title 10, United States Code, and out-
side employment aimed at improving the transition of 
the member to civilian life, only if such an internship or 
employment does not interfere with necessary medical 
appointments required for the member’s physical dis-
ability evaluation.
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•HRES 1512 EH 
(5) A requirement that not less than 21 days notice 
shall be provided to such a member for any such medical 
appointment, to the maximum extent practicable, to en-
sure that the appointment timeline is in the best inter-
ests of the immediate health of the member. 
(6) A requirement that the Coast Guard shall pro-
vide such a member with a written separation date upon 
the completion of a Medical Evaluation Board report 
that finds the member unfit to continue active duty. 
(7) To provide certainty to such a member with re-
spect to a separation date, a policy that ensures— 
(A) that accountability measures are in place 
with respect to Coast Guard delays throughout the 
Physical Disability Evaluation System, including— 
(i) placement of the member in an excess 
leave status after 270 days have elapsed since 
the date of initiation of an evaluation by a 
Medical Evaluation Board by any competent 
authority; and 
(ii) a calculation of the costs to retain the 
member on active duty, including the pay, al-
lowances, and other associated benefits of the 
member, for the period beginning on the date 
that is 90 days after the date of initiation of 
an evaluation by a Medical Evaluation Board
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•HRES 1512 EH 
by any competent authority and ending on the 
date on which the member is separated from 
the Coast Guard; and 
(B) the availability of administrative solutions 
to any such delay. 
(8) With respect to a member of the Coast Guard 
on temporary limited duty status, an option to remain 
in the member’s current billet, to the maximum extent 
practicable, or to be transferred to a different active- 
duty billet, so as to minimize any negative impact on the 
member’s career trajectory. 
(9) A requirement that each respective command 
shall report to the Coast Guard Personnel Service Cen-
ter any delay of more than 21 days between each stage 
of the Physical Disability Evaluation System for any 
such member, including between stages of the processes, 
the Medical Evaluation Board, the Informal Physical 
Evaluation Board, and the Formal Physical Evaluation 
Board. 
(10) A requirement that, not later than 7 days after 
receipt of a report of a delay described in paragraph (9), 
the Personnel Service Center shall take corrective action, 
which shall ensure that the Coast Guard exercises max-
imum discretion to continue the Physical Disability Eval-
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•HRES 1512 EH 
uation System of such a member in a timely manner, 
unless such delay is caused by the member. 
(11) A requirement that— 
(A) a member of the Coast Guard shall be al-
lowed to make a request for a reasonable delay in 
the Physical Disability Evaluation System to obtain 
additional input and consultation from a medical or 
legal professional; and 
(B) any such request for delay shall be ap-
proved by the Commandant based on a showing of 
good cause by the member. 
(c) REPORT ON TEMPORARY POLICY.—Not later than 
60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Com-
mandant shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives a copy of the policy developed under subsection 
(a). 
(d) PERMANENT POLICY.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant 
shall publish a Commandant Instruction making the policy 
developed under subsection (a) a permanent policy of the 
Coast Guard. 
(e) BRIEFING.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall provide to the
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•HRES 1512 EH 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives a briefing on, and a 
copy of, the permanent policy. 
(f) ANNUAL REPORT ON COSTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than annu-
ally, the Commandant shall submit to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives a report that, for 
the preceding fiscal year— 
(A) details the total aggregate service-wide 
costs described in subsection (b)(7)(A)(ii) for mem-
bers of the Coast Guard whose Physical Disability 
Evaluation System process has exceeded 90 days; 
and 
(B) includes for each such member— 
(i) an accounting of such costs; and 
(ii) the number of days that elapsed be-
tween the initiation and completion of the 
Physical Disability Evaluation System process. 
(2) PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION.—A 
report under paragraph (1) shall not include the person-
ally identifiable information of any member of the Coast 
Guard.