Pacific Ready Coast Guard Act

Summary#

This bill would add new reporting and planning requirements for the Coast Guard focused on the Pacific and Indo‑Pacific region. It requires the Coast Guard Commandant, working with the Departments of State and Defense when specified, to deliver an annual, unclassified plan (with a possible classified annex) about Coast Guard operations in the Pacific. The plan must list objectives, assess Coast Guard capabilities, identify areas needing increased presence, project demand for the next 10 years, assess ability to meet that demand, and summarize needed resources (staff, shore infrastructure, administrative/logistics support, and technology). The Commandant must also submit an annual, detailed unclassified budget display for Pacific operations tied to the plan. The bill requires briefings to specified congressional committees on the plan and the budget display.

The bill also requires several reports: a feasibility report (within 120 days of enactment) on creating a standing Indo‑Pacific maritime group modeled on NATO maritime groups; a report (within 1 year) on establishing forward operating bases in the Indo‑Pacific, including locations, justifications, costs, approvals needed, and a timeline to complete bases by January 1, 2030; a report (within 180 days) on Coast Guard attaches in Indo‑Pacific embassies, including where more attaches may be needed and plans to increase them; and a report (within 120 days) assessing the feasibility of attaching Department of State consular officers to Coast Guard and Navy missions to provide consular services in Pacific Island countries.

What it means for you#

• The Coast Guard would produce an annual Pacific operations plan and yearly detailed budget display for Congress. These documents would be mostly unclassified but could include a classified annex.
• Congress would receive regular briefings on those plans and budgets.
• The Coast Guard must study whether a standing Indo‑Pacific maritime group could be formed to carry out humanitarian, anti‑piracy, emergency response, maritime awareness, and fishing‑enforcement missions.
• The Coast Guard must analyze where forward operating bases should be placed in the Indo‑Pacific, what they would cost, what approvals are needed, and how to finish them by January 1, 2030.
• The bill would produce information on embassy Coast Guard attaches and on whether State Department consular officers could join Coast Guard and Navy missions to help citizens of Pacific Island countries.
• Reports require coordination with the Departments of State and Defense and with U.S. Indo‑Pacific Command when specified.

Expenses#

• The bill requires detailed budget displays and cost estimates in reports (for example, the forward operating bases report must include costs). However, the bill text does not itself appropriate funds or set specific funding levels.
• The required budget display must show amounts by procurement, research and development, operations and maintenance, and military personnel accounts, down to line items and program elements as specified.
• No publicly available information on total new spending or appropriations is provided in the bill text.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.