IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1382 
Honoring the heritage of the Coast Guard. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2008 
Mr. OBERSTAR (for himself, Mr. MICA, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. LATOURETTE, 
Mr. BAIRD, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, 
Mr. COBLE, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. LOBIONDO, 
Mr. TAYLOR, and Mr. YOUNG of Alaska) submitted the following resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure 
RESOLUTION 
Honoring the heritage of the Coast Guard. 
Whereas the Coast Guard, including its predecessor organiza-
tions, has a long and distinguished heritage dating back 
to the very first Congress in 1789; 
Whereas the Coast Guard is now in its 219th year of pro-
tecting the coast, saving life and property, protecting the 
environment, and ensuring the safety of life and property 
at sea; 
Whereas the Coast Guard and its predecessor organizations 
have been responsible for safe navigation since Con-
gress— 
(1) authorized ‘‘the necessary support, maintenance 
and repairs of all lighthouse, beacons, buoys’’, and spe-
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•HRES 1382 IH 
cifically authorized the construction of the first Federal 
lighthouse at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, on Au-
gust 7, 1789; and 
(2) established the Lighthouse Board on October 9, 
1852; 
Whereas the Coast Guard and its predecessor organizations 
have, since September 1, 1789, been responsible for reg-
istering (documenting) vessels of the United States; 
Whereas the Coast Guard and its predecessor organizations 
have protected the coast since Congress authorized the 
President to build and equip ten revenue cutters, on Au-
gust 4, 1790, which were to be paid for from ‘‘duties on 
goods, wares and merchandise, imported into the United 
States, and on the tonnage of ships or vessels’’; 
Whereas the Coast Guard and its predecessor organizations 
have inspected vessels since Congress adopted, on July 7, 
1838, an Act ‘‘to provide better security of the lives of 
passengers on board of vessels propelled in whole or in 
part by steam’’, thus beginning the Steamboat Inspection 
Service; 
Whereas the Coast Guard and its predecessor organizations 
have conducted lifesaving operations along our coasts 
since Congress first appropriated funding for life-saving 
equipment for the use of volunteers on August 14, 1848, 
the first lifesaving stations were authorized on June 20, 
1874, and the Life-Saving Service was established by Act 
of Congress on June 19, 1878; 
Whereas the Coast Guard and its predecessor organizations 
have had ‘‘superintendence of all commercial marine and 
merchant seamen of the United States . . .’’; been 
‘‘charged with the supervision of the laws relating to the 
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•HRES 1382 IH 
admeasurement of vessels, and the assigning of signal let-
ters thereto, and designating their official number . . .’’; 
and ‘‘annually prepare and publish a list of vessels of the 
United States . . .’’ since Congress established Shipping 
Commissioners on June 7, 1872, and established the Bu-
reau of Navigation on July 5, 1884; 
Whereas the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life-Saving 
Service were merged, by Act of Congress signed into law 
on January 28, 1915, to form the Coast Guard as an 
agency of the Department of the Treasury; 
Whereas the Lighthouse Service became part of the Coast 
Guard on July 1, 1939, as part of a government reorga-
nization plan adopted by Congress on April 3, 1939; 
Whereas the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation (a 
merger of the Steamboat Inspection Service and the Bu-
reau of Navigation) became part of the Coast Guard in 
another reorganization in July 1946; 
Whereas the Coast Guard was transferred from the Depart-
ment of the Treasury to the newly established Depart-
ment of Transportation on April 1, 1967; and 
Whereas the Coast Guard was transferred to the newly estab-
lished Department of Homeland Security in March 2003: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog-
nizes and honors all the men and women of the Coast 
Guard and its predecessor organizations since August 7, 
1789. 
Æ 
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