10.22.25

Coast Guard Authorization Advances in FY 2026 NDAA with Sullivan’s Alaska Priorities

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Commerce Coast Guard, Maritime and Fisheries Subcommittee, celebrated the Senate’s recent passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which incorporates the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2026. The legislation includes 14 provisions authored by Sen. Sullivan, many focused specifically on Alaska, and authorizes $14.8 billion in funding for the Coast Guard for FY 2025 and $15.5 billion for FY 2026.

“My colleagues on the Commerce Committee and I have crafted a strong Coast Guard bill that builds on the historic $25 billion investment in the Coast Guard that I championed in the budget reconciliation bill we passed this summer—the largest investment in the Coast Guard in U.S. history. With these investments, our country is making great strides in fulfilling our commitment to this branch of the U.S. military with the support, funding and attention the Coast Guard deserves,” Sen. Sullivan said. “As America’s only state with Arctic territory and with more coastline than the entire Lower 48 combined, Alaska is critical to the Coast Guard’s missions in defense of our nation. The Coast Guard serves an indispensable role in our state, defending our waters and ensuring the safety of Alaskans, a fact we were all reminded of witnessing the numerous search-and-rescue missions conducted and lives saved in Western Alaska in the aftermath of Typhoon Halong. From expanded travel privileges for our Alaska-based Coast Guardsmen to visit home, to additional funds for local infrastructure projects, this Coast Guard authorization builds upon the strong relationship between Alaska’s communities and our Alaska-based Coast Guard and will help our service members support their families and fulfill their many critical missions in the Last Frontier.”

This Coast Guard authorization will support:

Coast Guard Missions and Infrastructure

  • Accountability on Homeporting Projects: Requires the Coast Guard commandant to submit an annual report on the status of all cutter homeporting projects in Alaska, specifically for Fast Response Cutters, Offshore Patrol Cutters, and the newly acquired icebreaker, Storis, which will be homeported in Juneau. The goal is to provide transparency, support congressional oversight, and ensure timely progress on these strategically important assets, which are critical to national security and Arctic operations in Alaska, particularly in Kodiak, Seward, Sitka, and Juneau, where the Coast Guard maintains or plans to expand its operational presence. The bill also requires regular reports on the Coast Guard’s efforts to establish a forward operating base in St. Paul.
  • Expands Affordable Housing Opportunities: Allows the Coast Guard to acquire housing that is available on the market and in new housing construction programs. This is particularly important in areas where it’s hard for Coast Guard families to find affordable, quality housing. This bill also expands the Coast Guard's ability to enter into long-term leases for medical facilities, child development centers and training facilities, reducing administrative expenses and allowing for additional improvements to these facilities.

Coast Guardsmen in Alaska

  • Dutch Harbor Dependents: Authorizes personnel stationed at Dutch Harbor in Alaska to now bring their families with them on the assignment.
  • Travel Allowance: Expands travel benefits for any members stationed in Alaska to be able to visit their families in other states more frequently.
  • Travel Impacts: Requires the Coast Guard to study and report on how ferry travel affects members during permanent station moves, official travel, or commuting.
  • Incentive Program for Coast Guard Civilian Firefighters: Authorizes the Coast Guard to offer recruitment, relocation, and retention bonuses to civilian firefighters serving at remote Coast Guard fire departments. The goal is to attract and retain qualified personnel in these hard-to-fill positions.

Maritime Safety

  • Bering Strait Vessel Traffic: Directs a study of current and projected ship traffic in the Bering Strait over the next 10 years, and evaluates whether ports in Point Spencer, Nome, and Kotzebue have adequate infrastructure and emergency response capabilities. As vessel traffic grows with retreating Arctic ice, the study will help identify gaps and guide investments to protect Alaska communities, the environment, and U.S. national security.
  • Supports the Commercial Fishing Industry: Continues to authorize the use of a satellite tracking system to mark fishing equipment locations, which ensures commercial fishing 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 management in Alaska.

Tribes and Natural Resources

  • Creates the First-Ever Tribal Advisor: Creates a new civilian employee position within the Coast Guard to advise the commandant and other Coast Guard leadership on tribal affairs, such as government-to-government consultation, pollution response, fisheries enforcement, and other matters important to tribes.
  • Collaboration with Tribes on Research: Requires the commandant to identify potential collaborations and use of indigenous place-based knowledge and research to support Coast Guard mission needs in the Arctic.
  • North Pacific Research Board: Adds a new seat on the North Pacific Research Board specifically to represent Alaska Native people. The North Pacific Research Board oversees and funds scientific research focused on the North Pacific Ocean, including fisheries and ecosystem health. Adding this seat ensures that the perspectives and traditional knowledge of Alaska Native communities are included in decision-making, promoting more inclusive and culturally informed management of marine resources that directly affect their livelihoods and environment.

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