Coast Guard Sustained Funding Act of 2025
The Coast Guard Sustained Funding Act of 2025 would add a new provision to Title 14 of the U.S. Code to ensure Coast Guard pay and certain benefits continue during a lapse in Coast Guard funding. Specifically, it would authorize appropriations “as may be necessary” to pay military Coast Guard members (including reservists), qualified civilian employees, and qualified contract employees during any period when no Coast Guard appropriation is enacted for the fiscal year. The bill provides limited flexibility to incur obligations in advance of new appropriations under defined exceptions to the Anti-Deficiency Act, and it defines what counts as a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse and when such funding would terminate (upon enactment of a new appropriation or continuing resolution, or the lack of any applicable appropriation). In short, the bill aims to prevent pay gaps for Coast Guard personnel during funding gaps, while preserving certain legal safeguards and clarifying who is covered and how long funds can be available.
Key Points
- 1Creates new Sec. 2780 in Chapter 27 of Title 14 to cover pay during a Coast Guard-specific lapse in appropriations, allowing funds to be appropriated specifically to cover pay and allowances.
- 2Covered personnel include: (1) military Coast Guard members (including the reserve component) on active service or inactive-duty training, (2) qualified civilian Coast Guard employees, and (3) qualified Coast Guard contract employees.
- 3Anti-Deficiency Act (which normally prohibits spending without an appropriation) applies to operations under this section but includes carve-outs for: laws that explicitly authorize pre-appropriation obligations, emergencies affecting life or property safety, and functions necessary to discharge presidential duties.
- 4Defines a Coast Guard-specific funding lapse as a period when no Coast Guard appropriation for the fiscal year is enacted before the year begins and no continuing appropriation is in effect.
- 5Termination rules: funds made available under this section stay available until the enactment of a new appropriation or the applicable regular/continuing appropriations Act, or until there is no appropriation for the purpose.
- 6Definitions: “Qualified civilian employee” and “Qualified contract employee” are defined by responsibility to assist Coast Guard operations or to perform emergency/excepted work, per the Commandant and applicable OPM definitions. A clerical amendment adds the new section to the chapter’s analysis.