Coast Guard Bill Authorizes $58B in Funding, Creates Civilian Secretary, and Mandates 50-Year Evidence Retention for Sexual Assault Cases

The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 is a massive piece of legislation that essentially sets the direction, budget, and internal culture for the Coast Guard for the next five years. It authorizes nearly $58 billion in total funding across various accounts through 2029, with a clear focus on boosting the Coast Guard’s physical presence, particularly in the Arctic and Pacific, and fundamentally overhauling how the service handles internal personnel issues, especially misconduct.

This bill doesn’t just tweak existing laws; it mandates major structural changes, sets ambitious personnel targets, and imposes strict new accountability measures on the Commandant and the acquisition process. For the average person, this means a better-funded, larger Coast Guard that faces unprecedented levels of political oversight—and significant changes for anyone who serves in the branch or relies on maritime safety.

The Brass Tacks: A Bigger, More Expensive Coast Guard

Starting with the budget, the bill authorizes substantial funding increases, setting the stage for a much larger force. It authorizes $11.2 billion for 2025, climbing to $15.5 billion by 2029 for the main operating accounts (Sec. 101). To match that spending, the authorized military strength is set to increase dramatically, jumping from the current 47,000 to 50,000 in 2025, and eventually reaching a target of 60,000 personnel by 2028 (Sec. 102). This is a huge expansion that will require significant recruiting and training resources.

If the annual budget requests don’t actually fund this personnel growth, the Commandant is required to personally report to Congress on the plan to reach the 60,000 goal, including the estimated costs for salaries, benefits, and recruiting through 2032. This level of detail ensures that Congress is fully aware of the long-term financial commitment required to meet these new strength targets.

A New Civilian Boss: The Secretary of the Coast Guard

Perhaps the biggest internal shake-up is the creation of a new civilian position: the Secretary of the Coast Guard (Sec. 201). This appointed official, who must come from civilian life, will be responsible for running all the affairs of the Coast Guard, setting policy, and overseeing budget implementation. The Commandant will now report directly to this new Secretary, bypassing other department officials.

This move centralizes authority and aims to put a layer of civilian control over the traditionally military-led service. While the bill requires a planning and review period, including a GAO assessment, before the position is filled, it raises questions about the division of power. Will the new Secretary streamline bureaucracy, or just add another layer of management? The bill attempts to safeguard core Coast Guard duties from being significantly reduced by this new leadership, but only time will tell how this new structure affects day-to-day operations and mission execution.

Overhauling Accountability for Misconduct

Title V introduces sweeping, crucial reforms aimed at addressing sexual assault and misconduct within the service—a response to recent, high-profile failures in accountability. These changes have real-world implications for anyone serving:

• 50-Year Evidence Retention: For any report of rape or sexual assault, the Coast Guard must now retain all physical, forensic, and documentary evidence for a minimum of 50 years (Sec. 502). This is a monumental change designed to support victims seeking benefits or justice decades later. The same section also requires the retention of sexual assault forensic exam kits for the longer of 50 years or current policy.
• Safe-to-Report Policy: The Commandant must establish a “Safe-to-Report” policy within 90 days, guaranteeing that victims or witnesses of sexual assault won’t be punished for “minor collateral misconduct” (like underage drinking) that may have occurred around the time of the assault (Sec. 505). This removes a major barrier to reporting.
• Expedited Transfers: Victims of sexual misconduct or domestic violence gain the right to an expedited transfer out of their unit, matching Department of Defense policy. Furthermore, the policy must allow for the temporary administrative reassignment of the accused subject to maintain good order, ensuring the move is not considered punishment (Sec. 528).
• Mandatory Training: The bill requires a complete overhaul of the misconduct prevention curriculum, mandating annual training for every member and employee, and specialized, recurring training for first responders and commanding officers on trauma-informed care and disciplinary procedures (Sec. 532).

Acquisition Oversight and Infrastructure

Taxpayers should note the significant increase in oversight on how the Coast Guard spends billions on new ships and planes. The bill requires quarterly briefings to Congress on all Level 1 and Level 2 acquisitions, detailing costs, schedules, risks, and contractors (Sec. 113). If the Commandant is about to make a procurement decision that significantly changes a program’s cost or timeline, they must brief Congress one week beforehand.

On the infrastructure front, the bill imposes a strict, new prohibition on foreign construction (Sec. 233). The Coast Guard generally cannot buy, lease, or charter any vessel if a major piece of its hull or superstructure was built in a foreign shipyard. The President can waive this for national security, but only if they certify that no qualified U.S. shipyards are available and detail steps taken to prepare domestic yards for future needs. This is a clear win for domestic shipbuilding, but could potentially delay acquisitions if U.S. capacity is strained.

Shorter Sea Time for Mariners

In a shift that could affect maritime commerce, the bill significantly shortens the required sea service time for several merchant mariner credentials. For example, some requirements drop from 3 years to 18 months, or from 12 months to 6 months (Sec. 301). Crucially, it allows massive substitution rates for training: one day of full mission simulator training can now count as six days of sea service. While this aims to modernize training, it raises a practical concern: are mariners leaving the training pipeline with enough real-world experience before they hit the open water?

The Bottom Line

This legislation commits significant resources to modernizing the Coast Guard and expanding its global reach, particularly in strategic areas like the Pacific and Arctic. For those serving, the bill promises a larger force and meaningful protection against misconduct and retaliation. However, the creation of a new civilian Secretary and the intense increase in reporting requirements—which affect everyone from the Commandant (who is personally required to deliver many briefings) down to the unit level—will fundamentally alter the Coast Guard’s command structure and bureaucratic load. This is a crucial bill that sets the stage for a dramatically different Coast Guard over the next decade.