H. R. 6395—1288 
United States shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on the resources, regulations, policies, 
protocols, and other actions designed to carry out the Coast 
Guard Certificate of Compliance program with respect to lique-
fied natural gas tank vessels (including examinations under 
section 153.808 of title 46, Code of Federal Regulations) and 
vessels that carry bulk liquefied gases as cargo (including 
examinations under part 154 of title 46, Code of Federal Regula-
tions) for purposes of maintaining the efficiency of examinations 
under that program. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report under paragraph (1) shall 
include an assessment of the adequacy of current Coast Guard 
resources, regulations, policies, and protocols to maintain vessel 
examination efficiency while carrying out the program referred 
to in paragraph (1) as United States bulk liquefied gases cargo, 
liquefied natural gas exports, and associated vessel traffic at 
United States ports increase. 
(b) NATIONAL ACADEMIES STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the date 
on which the report required under subsection (a) is submitted, 
the Commandant shall enter into an agreement with the 
National Academies under which the National Academies 
shall— 
(A) conduct an evaluation of the constraints and chal-
lenges to maintaining examination efficiency under the 
program as United States bulk liquefied gases cargo, lique-
fied natural gas exports, and associated vessel traffic at 
United States ports increase; and 
(B) issue recommendations for changes to resources, 
regulations, policies, and protocols to maintain the effi-
ciency of the program, including analysis of the following 
alternatives: 
(i) Establishment of a Coast Guard marine exam-
ination unit near the Panama Canal to conduct inspec-
tions under the program on liquefied natural gas tank 
vessels bound for the United States, similar to Coast 
Guard operations carried out by Coast Guard Activities 
Europe and Coast Guard Activities Far East, including 
the effects of the establishment of such a unit on 
the domestic aspects of the program. 
(ii) Management of all marine examiners with gas 
carrier qualification within each Coast Guard District 
by a single Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection (as 
defined in section 50.10–10 of title 46, Code of Federal 
Regulations) to improve the efficiency of their vessel 
examination assignments. 
(iii) Extension of the duration of assignment of 
marine examiners with a gas carrier qualification at 
Coast Guard units that most frequently inspect vessels 
that carry bulk liquefied gases as cargo and liquefied 
natural gas tank vessels. 
(iv) Increase in the use of civilians to conduct 
and support examinations under the program. 
(v) Extension of the duration of certificates of 
compliance under the program for vessels that carry
H. R. 6395—1289 
bulk liquefied gases as cargo and liquefied natural 
gas tank vessels that are less than 10 years of age 
and participate in a Coast Guard vessel quality pro-
gram. 
SEC. 8255. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES REVIEW 
AND REPORT ON COAST GUARD’S INTERNATIONAL PORT 
SECURITY PROGRAM. 
(a) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report setting 
forth the results of a comprehensive review, conducted by the Comp-
troller General for purposes of the report, on the Coast Guard’s 
International Port Security Program, including the findings, and 
any recommendations for improvement of the program, of the Comp-
troller General. 
(b) REQUIRED ELEMENTS
OF REVIEW.—The review required 
under subsection (a) shall include— 
(1) review of the actions of the Coast Guard under the 
Coast Guard’s International Port Security Program, since 2014, 
to enhance foreign port inspections; 
(2) review of the actions of the Coast Guard to recognize 
and monitor port inspection programs of foreign governments; 
(3) identification and review of the actions the Coast Guard 
takes to address any deficiencies it observes during visits at 
foreign ports; 
(4) identify and review the benchmarks of the Coast Guard 
for measuring the effectiveness of the program; and 
(5) review of the extent to which the Coast Guard and 
United States Customs and Border Protection coordinate efforts 
to screen and inspect cargo at foreign ports. 
SEC. 8256. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES REVIEW 
AND REPORT ON SURGE CAPACITY OF THE COAST GUARD. 
(a) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report setting 
for the results of a comprehensive review, conducted by the Comp-
troller General for purposes of the report, on the surge capacity 
of the Coast Guard to respond to a catastrophic incident (such 
as a hurricane), including the findings, and any recommendations 
for improvement, of the Comptroller General. 
(b) REQUIRED ELEMENTS
OF REVIEW.—The review required 
under subsection (a) shall include— 
(1) a description and review of each Coast Guard deploy-
ment in response to a catastrophic incident after 2005; 
(2) identification of best practices informed by the deploy-
ments described in paragraph (1); 
(3) a review of the ability of the surge force of the Coast 
Guard to meet the demands of the response roles in which 
it was serving during each deployment described in paragraph 
(1); 
(4) identification of any statutory or regulatory impedi-
ments, such as adaptability, planning, training, mobilization,
H. R. 6395—1290 
or information and resource integration, to the surge capacity 
of the Coast Guard in response to a catastrophic incident; 
(5) review of the impacts of a surge of the Coast Guard 
in response to a catastrophic incident on the capacity of the 
Coast Guard to perform its statutory missions; 
(6) review of the capability of the Coast Guard to surge 
in response to concurrent or subsequent catastrophic incidents; 
and 
(7) review and description of existing voluntary and invol-
untary deployments of Coast Guard personnel and assets in 
support of a United States Customs and Border Protection 
response to a national emergency (as defined in Presidential 
Proclamation 9844) on the surge capacity of the Coast Guard 
in the event of a catastrophic incident. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘catastrophic 
incident’’ and ‘‘surge capacity’’ have the meaning given such terms 
in section 602 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform 
Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 701). 
SEC. 8257. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES REVIEW 
AND REPORT ON MARINE INSPECTIONS PROGRAM OF 
COAST GUARD. 
(a) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report setting 
forth the results of a comprehensive review, conducted by the Comp-
troller General for purposes of the report, on the marine inspections 
program of the Coast Guard, including the findings, and any rec-
ommendations for improvement of the program, of the Comptroller 
General. 
(b) REQUIRED ELEMENTS
OF REVIEW.—The review required 
under subsection (a) shall include— 
(1) an analysis of the demand for marine inspectors; 
(2) an identification of the number of fully qualified marine 
inspectors; 
(3) a determination of whether the number of marine 
inspectors identified in paragraph (2) is sufficient to meet the 
demand described in paragraph (1); 
(4) a review of the enlisted marine inspector workforce 
compared to the civilian marine inspector workforce and 
whether there is any discernable distinction or impact between 
such workforces in the performance of the marine safety mis-
sion; 
(5) an evaluation of the training continuum of marine 
inspectors; 
(6) a description and review of what actions, if any, the 
Coast Guard is taking to adapt to the current rise in United 
States export of crude oil and other fuels, such as implementing 
a safety inspection regime for barges; and 
(7) an analysis of extending tours of duty for marine inspec-
tors and increasing the number of civilian marine inspectors. 
SEC. 8258. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES REVIEW 
AND REPORT ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM 
OF COAST GUARD. 
(a) GAO REPORT.—
H. R. 6395—1291 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report setting forth the results of a comprehen-
sive review, conducted by the Comptroller General for purposes 
of the report, on the Coast Guard Command, Control, Commu-
nications, Computers, Cyber, and Intelligence Service Center, 
including the findings, and any recommendations for improve-
ment of the program, of the Comptroller General. 
(2) REQUIRED ELEMENTS OF REVIEW.—The review required 
under paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) analysis of how the Coast Guard manages its 
information technology program, including information 
technology acquisitions, to meet its various mission needs 
and reporting requirements; 
(B) analysis of the adequacy of the physical information 
technology infrastructure within Coast Guard districts, 
including network infrastructure, for meeting mission 
needs and reporting requirements; 
(C) analysis of whether and, if so, how the Coast 
Guard— 
(i) identifies and satisfies any knowledge and skill 
requirements; and 
(ii) recruits, trains, and develops its information 
technology personnel; 
(D) analysis of whether and, if so, how the Coast Guard 
separates information technology from operational tech-
nology for cybersecurity purposes; 
(E) analysis of how the Coast Guard intends to update 
its Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement 
system, personnel, accounting and other databases, and 
implement an electronic health records system; and 
(F) analysis of the goals and acquisition strategies 
for all proposed Coast Guard enterprise-wide cloud com-
puting service procurements. 
(b) REVIEW ON CLOUD COMPUTING.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the 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 detailed description 
of the Coast Guard’s strategy to implement cloud computing for 
the entire Coast Guard, including— 
(1) the goals and acquisition strategies for all proposed 
enterprise-wide cloud computing service procurements; 
(2) a strategy to sustain competition and innovation 
throughout the period of performance of each contract for 
procurement of cloud-computing goods and services for the 
Coast Guard, including defining opportunities for multiple 
cloud-service providers and insertion of new technologies; 
(3) an assessment of potential threats and security 
vulnerabilities of the strategy, and plans to mitigate such risks; 
and 
(4) an estimate of the cost and timeline to implement 
cloud computing service for all Coast Guard computing.