This bill creates a new civilian office, the Secretary of the Coast Guard. The Secretary would be chosen by the President with the Senate's approval and would be the head of the Coast Guard. The bill adds job duties for the new Secretary in law, including responsibility for recruiting, organizing, training, equipping, maintaining, and managing Coast Guard personnel, property, and programs. The Commandant of the Coast Guard would remain but would be explicitly tasked to assist and report directly to the Secretary of the Coast Guard. The bill also sets a rule that the Secretary of the Coast Guard should be appointed from civilian life and bars appointment within five years after a person leaves active duty as a commissioned officer of the regular armed forces. When the Coast Guard operates as a service in the Navy, the Secretary of the Coast Guard may advise the Secretary of the Navy and the Commandant would report directly to the Secretary of the Navy. The bill amends provisions in Titles 10 and 14 of the U.S. Code to reflect the new Secretary role. It requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a reorganization plan within 30 days that describes personnel assignments, transfers of responsibilities, legislative changes needed, assets and funds to be moved, and an effective date for the plan.
If enacted, the Coast Guard would have a new civilian leader position who would be the legal head of the service and who would direct most administrative and management functions listed in the bill (for example, recruiting, training, equipping, and property management). The Commandant would continue operational and supporting duties but would formally assist and report to the Secretary of the Coast Guard. The Department of Homeland Security must send Congress a plan describing how duties, people, assets, and funds would be moved or organized to support the new office.
No publicly available information on estimated federal costs or budget amounts. The bill requires the reorganization plan to specify funds and assets proposed to transfer, but it does not include dollar figures.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.