[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1845 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1845
To provide for pay and allowances for members of the Coast Guard during
a funding gap, to provide full funding to address the shoreside
facility maintenance and recapitalization backlog of the Coast Guard,
and to diversify the Coast Guard, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 26, 2021
Mr. Wicker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for pay and allowances for members of the Coast Guard during
a funding gap, to provide full funding to address the shoreside
facility maintenance and recapitalization backlog of the Coast Guard,
and to diversify the Coast Guard, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Unwavering Support for our Coast
Guard Act'' or the ``USCG Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Coast Guard saves individuals in peril, thwarts
illicit and coercive maritime activities, and fosters economic
prosperity and environmental stewardship.
(2) The Coast Guard is at all times a branch of the Armed
Forces of the United States.
(3) Additionally, the Coast Guard is a Federal law
enforcement agency, a regulatory body, a first responder, and a
member of the United States intelligence community.
(4) With its unique mission set and authorities, the Coast
Guard has a key role in addressing emerging national priorities
in the United States and across the globe.
(5) The Coast Guard is deployed worldwide. The white-hull
diplomacy of the Coast Guard is essential to United States
security.
(6) Domestically, the Coast Guard keeps the waterways of
the United States open and commerce moving smoothly by ensuring
marine safety and maintaining aids to navigation.
(7) Last year, the Coast Guard responded to 16,845 search
and rescue cases and saved 4,286 lives.
(8) The Coast Guard has admirably performed its missions
with a fleet of aging vessels, aircraft, and facilities. The
Coast Guard deserves Congress's strong and full support for the
recapitalization of its assets.
SEC. 3. PAY AND ALLOWANCES FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE COAST GUARD
DURING FUNDING GAP.
(a) In General.--During a funding gap, the Secretary of the
Treasury shall make available to the Secretary of Homeland Security,
out of any amounts in the general fund of the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, such amounts as the Secretary of Homeland Security
determines to be necessary to continue to provide, without
interruption, pay and allowances to members of the Coast Guard,
including reserve components thereof, who perform active service during
the funding gap.
(b) Funding Gap Defined.--In this section, the term ``funding gap''
means any period after the beginning of a fiscal year for which interim
or full-year appropriations for the personnel accounts of the Coast
Guard have not been enacted.
SEC. 4. FULL FUNDING FOR SHORESIDE FACILITY MAINTENANCE AND
RECAPITALIZATION.
(a) Statement of Policy.--It shall be the policy of the United
States to provide, on the earliest date practicable, full funding to
address the shoreside facility maintenance and recapitalization backlog
of the Coast Guard.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland Security to eliminate the
shoreside facility maintenance and recapitalization backlog of the
Coast Guard $2,600,000,000 for fiscal years 2022 through 2030.
SEC. 5. FLEET MIX ANALYSIS.
(a) In General.--The Commandant of the Coast Guard (referred to in
this Act as the ``Commandant'') shall conduct an updated fleet mix
analysis that provides for a fleet mix sufficient, as determined by the
Commandant--
(1) to carry out--
(A) the missions of the Coast Guard; and
(B) emerging mission requirements; and
(2) to address--
(A) national security threats; and
(B) the global deployment of the Coast Guard to
counter great power competitors.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Commandant shall submit to Congress a report on the
results of the updated fleet mix analysis required by subsection (a).
SEC. 6. SHORE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT PLAN.
(a) In General.--The Commandant shall develop an updated shore
infrastructure investment plan that includes--
(1) the construction of additional facilities to
accommodate the updated fleet mix described in section 5(a);
(2) improvements necessary to ensure that existing
facilities meet requirements and remain operational for the
lifespan of such fleet mix, including necessary improvements to
information technology infrastructure;
(3) a timeline for the construction and improvement of the
facilities described in paragraphs (1) and (2); and
(4) a cost estimate for construction and life-cycle support
of such facilities, including for necessary personnel.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the
report under section 5(b) is submitted, the Commandant shall submit to
Congress a report on the plan required by subsection (a).
SEC. 7. PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM TO DIVERSIFY THE COAST GUARD.
(a) Establishment.--The Commandant shall establish a program for
the purpose of increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in
the enlisted ranks of the Coast Guard.
(b) Partnerships.--In carrying out the program established under
subsection (a), the Commandant shall--
(1) seek to enter into 1 or more partnerships with eligible
entities--
(A) to increase the visibility of Coast Guard
careers;
(B) to promote curriculum development--
(i) to enable acceptance into the Coast
Guard; and
(ii) to improve success on relevant exams,
such as the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude
Battery; and
(C) to provide mentoring for students entering and
beginning Coast Guard careers; and
(2) enter into a partnership with an existing Junior
Reserve Officers' Training Corps for the purpose of promoting
Coast Guard careers.
(c) Eligible Institution Defined.--In this section, the term
``eligible institution'' means--
(1) an institution of higher education (as defined in
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001));
(2) an institution that provides a level of educational
attainment that is less than a bachelor's degree;
(3) a part B institution (as defined in section 322 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061));
(4) a Tribal College or University (as defined in section
316(b) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)));
(5) a Hispanic-serving institution (as defined in section
502 of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a));
(6) an Alaska Native-serving institution or a Native
Hawaiian-serving institution (as defined in section 317(b) of
that Act (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)));
(7) a Predominantly Black institution (as defined in
section 371(c) of that Act (20 U.S.C. 1071q(c)));
(8) an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-
serving institution (as defined in such section); and
(9) a Native American-serving nontribal institution (as
defined in such section).
SEC. 8. COAST GUARD YARD RESILIENCY.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) For over a century, Coast Guard vessels have been
built, repaired, and renovated in the Coast Guard Yard
(referred to in this section as the ``Yard'') in Baltimore,
Maryland.
(2) As 1 of only 5 remaining public shipyards in the United
States, the Yard provides a unique capability to support the
Coast Guard and the national fleet, including the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Navy, the Army, and
other Government agencies.
(3) The Yard is an essential component of the core
industrial base and fleet support operations of the Coast
Guard, and its primary mission is to renovate, maintain, and
repair Coast Guard vessels.
(4) The Coast Guard is in the midst of recapitalizing its
surface fleet by replacing smaller vessels with larger, more
capable assets. Until recently, the Yard provided the Coast
Guard with the organic capacity to service every vessel in the
Coast Guard fleet, except polar icebreakers.
(5) With the acquisition of the National Security Cutter
and the projected acquisition of the Offshore Patrol Cutter,
the Coast Guard will no longer have the organic capacity to
service every vessel in the Coast Guard fleet.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland Security to improve the
infrastructure of the Coast Guard public shipyard $350,000,000.
<all>