Leaders of the House and Senate committees responsible for overseeing the policies of the Coast Guard on Monday said they have agreed on legislation to authorize the service, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
The House is expected to take up the 23-page Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014 (H.R. 5769) on Wednesday and the Senate is also expected to consider the measure this week.
“This bipartisan, bicameral measure helps ensure that the service has the necessary tools to carry out its important missions, and also recognizes how essential a healthy maritime transportation sector is to our economy, our competitiveness, and our national security,” the committee’s leaders said in a statement. The leaders include Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Rep. Nick Rahall II (D-W. Va.), the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and John Thune (R-S.D.), the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Commerce Committee.
The bill reauthorizes the Coast Guard at currently authorized funding levels, allowing the service to continue replacing aging assets with new systems. The bill would also allow DHS to extend expedited workforce hiring authorities to the Coast Guard for acquisition personnel.