Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-2741
Sponsor: Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6]
Introduced: 2023-04-20 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Accidents
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Alaska
Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Arctic and polar regions
Asia
Aviation and airports
Building construction
Caribbean area
China
Civil actions and liability
Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Emergency communications systems
Emergency planning and evacuation
Europe
Florida
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Great Lakes
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Higher education
Human trafficking
Infrastructure development
Lakes and rivers
Licensing and registrations
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Marine and inland water transportation
Marine pollution
Military education and training
Natural disasters
Navigation, waterways, harbors
Oil and gas
Public contracts and procurement
Public-private cooperation
Puerto Rico
Railroads
Russia
Smuggling and trafficking
Transportation safety and security
Virgin Islands

Summary:
action_date: 2023-04-20
text: 

Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2023

This bill addresses Coast Guard operations, maritime security, and related matters.

The bill authorizes for FY2024 and FY2025 the Coast Guard's active-duty personnel and military training student levels and activities related to information technology, environmental compliance, and other purposes.

The bill authorizes the Coast Guard to suspend a license, certificate of registry, or merchant mariner's credential if it has probable cause to believe that an individual poses a threat to others on a vessel. Further, the bill extends existing vessel registry requirements prohibiting foreign ownership to vessels supporting alternate energy production or transmission or commercial space exploration activities over the Outer Continental Shelf.

Among other provisions, the bill also

requires the Coast Guard to provide ballast water quality data to any state or territory upon request;

establishes the felony crime of grossly negligent operation of a vessel when conduct results in serious bodily injury;

authorizes the President to direct or control foreign-flag vessels when a cyber incident, transnational organized crime, or foreign state threats endanger U.S. security; and

authorizes the Coast Guard to respond to cyber incidents, transnational organized crime, or foreign state threats to prevent damage to structures located on and near navigable waters.

The bill also modifies the minimum requirements for various merchant mariner credentials, including by reducing certain service time prerequisites and extending eligibility to noncitizen nationals of the United States. (Generally, individuals who receive U.S. nationality by virtue of being born in, or having parents who were born in, the U.S. outlying possessions are U.S. nationals but not U.S. citizens.)


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2023-06-27
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 91.
action_date: 2023-06-27
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H. Rept. 118-119.
action_date: 2023-06-27
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H. Rept. 118-119.
action_date: 2023-04-26
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 58 - 3.
action_date: 2023-04-26
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2023-04-26
text: Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Discharged.
action_date: 2023-04-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
action_date: 2023-04-20
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2023-04-20
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2023-04-20
text: Introduced in House