Cantwell-Led Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill Unanimously Passes Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, the United States Senate unanimously passed the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2025 that would reauthorize $30.45 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026. The bill was introduced last month by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee.
The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Ahead of the bill’s passage, Sen. Cantwell delivered a speech on the Senate floor:
“The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 provides the tools that our Coast Guard needs now to protect our shores, keep our maritime [industry] moving,”said Sen. Cantwell.“It includes [investments] in Base Seattle, the home port to our nation's current icebreakers, the future of our heavy icebreaker fleet […] The bill also reauthorizes the Puget Sound Whale Desk for another two years, [which] helps ship steer clear of our cherished orca and whale populations, and it also increases collaboration between Washington tribes and the Coast Guard. And the bill invests in critical safety programs.”
“Moving forward, we have more to do to support the Coast Guard. They needed our help with their assets, and they need access to shipyards,”she said.
Among many important provisions, the legislation includeshistoric protections for service members from sexual assault and harassment, boosts workforce development programs and availability of affordable housing, increases funding to help the U.S. Coast Guard deliver on critical priorities such as icebreakers and 52-foot heavy-weather lifeboats, raises penalties for abandoned and derelict vessels, and encourages more collaboration with tribes.
The legislation authorizes $14.93 billion for FY25 and $15.51 billion for FY26. The full bill text of the bipartisan U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 is availableHERE.
Sen. Cantwell secured language for programs critical to Washington state in the legislation. Among those provisions, her bipartisan legislation:
Expands Affordable Housing Opportunities:Allows the Coast Guard to acquire housing that is available both on the market and in new housing construction programs. This is particularly important in coastal areas -- like Cape Disappointment, Grays Harbor, and Port Angeles -- where Coast Guard families face a difficult time accessing affordable, quality housing due to competition with seasonal rentals and other challenges associated with remote units. This bill also expands the Coast Guard's ability to enter into long-term leases for medical facilities, child development centers, and training facilities to expand access to services for Coast Guard families while reducing administrative overhead expenses and allowing for additional improvements to these facilities.
Increases Federal Funding to Deliver on Icebreakers and Heavy Weather Lifeboats:The legislation increases authorized funding by 30% compared to 2024 appropriated funding levels, which will help the Coast Guard deliver on critical priorities such as polar icebreakers, 52-foot heavy-weather lifeboats, and other priority acquisition programs.
Creates the First-Ever Tribal Advisor:Creates a new senior position within the Coast Guard to advise the Commandant and other Coast Guard leaders on how the Coast Guard can work more closely with tribes. The new Special Advisor would also be charged with ensuring the Coast Guard upholds trust responsibilities to tribal governments, improving tribal engagement and consultation activities, and ensuring that tribes have a voice on Coast Guard programs that impact tribes including oil spill preparedness and response, fisheries oversight, and the protection of natural resources.
Boosts Local Tribal Partnerships to Improve Conservation:Provides the Coast Guard with new authorities to support habitat conservation and other resilience projects with state, local, and tribal governments. This important new authority would ensure tribes and other organizations can partner with the Coast Guard to protect treaty fishing rights and maintain access to cultural and natural resources.
Reauthorizes the Whale Desk:Extends the Whale Desk at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound by two years, through FY2028. Authored by Senator Cantwell in the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2022, the “Whale Desk” at Sector Puget Sound gives vessel operators and mariners near real-time data about the location of whales to reduce encounters that disturb whales, including noise pollution and ship strikes. The pilot program also includes a “hotline” where callers can report whale sightings in real time. The data collected will be valuable for researchers who track whale migration patterns.

Supports the Commercial Fishing and Maritime Industries:Continues to authorize the use of a satellite tracking system to mark fishing gear locations, which ensures gear is not lost and avoids potential damage by derelict gear. It also supports fishing vessels engaging in temporary towing operations as part of salmon hatchery development in Alaska.  The bill also creates new training and credentialing opportunities for qualified mariners, veterans, and the general public seeking to become mariners. It also expedites processing times for merchant mariner licensing documents to help close this critical workforce gap.
Maps Arctic Maritime Routes:The Bering Sea is expected to see increased fishing, commercial, and other vessel traffic over the coming decades. As a key international trade and maritime route, this billrequires an analysis of projected traffic in the Bering Strait, and the emergency response capabilities and infrastructure needed to support this increased vessel traffic and prevent oil spills in the Bering Sea and the Arctic.
Boosts International Pacific Cooperation:Requires the Coast Guard to develop a plan to increase international training opportunities in the Pacific, including with the Taiwan Coast Guard. This coordination will strengthen American relations, combat illegal fishing, and boost international security in the Pacific.
Cracks Down on Abandoned Vessels:Improves oversight of derelict and abandoned vessels by requiring the Coast Guard to develop and maintain an inventory list of these vessels to improve tracking, management, and coordination between federal, state, tribal, and other relevant entities. It authorizes a new federal penalty of $500 a day for abandoning vessels.
Protects Personnel from Illicit Drug/Fentanyl Exposure:As the Coast Guard carries out important drug interdiction missions to stop the flow of illegal drugs, this bill requires all installations to maintain a supply of naloxone or similar medication to treat opioid or fentanyl overdoses or exposure by Coast Guard members and the public in search and rescue or response calls.
Requires Stronger Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment (SASH) Prevention and Response:The bill would establish or update numerous Coast Guard and Academy authorities and programs to improve reporting, oversight, prevention, and accountability related to sexual misconduct. These provisions were drafted in response toOperation Fouled Anchor, which revealed gross mishandling of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases of U.S. Coast Guard personnel.
A full breakdown of these protections is availableHERE.
Supports Coast Guard Families Stationed in Washington:
Prepares Tsunami Evacuation Plans:Requires the development of tsunami evacuation and preparedness plans for Coast Guard units in tsunami zones, including across the West Coast and Pacific Northwest. It also requires the Coast Guard to consider vertical evacuation as a lifesaving option for Coast Guard members.
Bolsters National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Video of Sen. Cantwell’s speech on the Senate floor today isHERE; audio isHERE; and a transcript isHERE.