The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to approve bipartisan legislation that would authorize funding for the United States Coast Guard through 2029.
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 does four things. It authorizes support for Coast Guard operations, creates greater parity with the other armed services, strengthens U.S.-Build requirements, and modernizes the Coast Guard’s acquisition process.
The bill would establish a secretary of the Coast Guard and provide stronger protections for members of the Coast Guard from sexual assault and harassment.
The bill ensures a healthy, robust U.S. shipbuilding industry by updating maritime safety laws, amending requirements for merchant mariner credentials to increase in the pool of qualified U.S. merchant mariners, increasing vessel safety, and improving regulatory processes.
U.S. Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman; Rick Larsen (D-WA), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee ranking member; Mike Ezell (R-MS), Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee chairman; and Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee ranking member introduced the bill.
“This legislation builds off the $25 billion dollar investment in reconciliation and follows the strong vision of Coast Guard Force Design 2028. H.R. 4275 strengthens our national security, supports maritime jobs, ensures safe navigation, and protects our natural resources,” Ezell said.