Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill sets a plan to grow the Coast Guard from about 44,500 members to 60,000 by the year 2029. This growth is intended to help the service better handle missions like sea rescues, stopping illegal drugs, and protecting the environment.
• A major part of the law changes how the Coast Guard handles sexual assault and harassment. It requires the service to keep evidence for 50 years, makes it easier for victims to transfer to new locations for their safety, and creates a 'Safe-to-Report' rule so victims are not punished for minor mistakes when they come forward to report a crime.
• The government will create a new civilian leadership position called the Secretary of the Coast Guard. This leader will report directly to the head of Homeland Security and help manage the service's budget and goals, similar to how the Navy and Army have their own civilian secretaries.
• The policy provides billions of dollars for new ships and technology over the next five years. This includes building new icebreakers to keep the Great Lakes and Arctic waters open for travel, as well as using more drones and uncrewed systems to monitor the ocean.
• To support Coast Guard families, the bill updates rules for family leave and makes it easier to hire doctors and childcare workers for remote bases. It also adds more mental health specialists to help members deal with the stress of their high-pressure jobs.