HR 6865 Passed in House – FY 2022 CG Authorization

Yesterday,
the House took up HR
6865, the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022, under the
suspension of the rules process. The bill passed by a reasonably bipartisan vote of 378 to 46. The version
of the bill published in the Congressional Record as part
of the record (pgs H3901-19) of yesterday’s debate was not the same version
as was
reported yesterday by the House Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee. The most obvious difference is the insertion a new TITLE IV—Federal
Maritime Commission. I will be able to tell better what other changes were made
to the bill before the vote when Congress.gov publishes the engrossed version
of the bill.

The debate was interesting as there was actually some opposition
voiced to some of the provisions of the bill. Represenatatives Auchincloss
(D,MA), Rouzer (D,MA) and Keating (D,MA) objected (pgs H3921-2) to provisions
that would interfere with access to wind turbine installation vessels for
current and future development of offshore wind projects. Specifically, they
asked to have those provisions revised during conference with the Senate. Rep
DeFazio (D,OR) assured them (pg H3922) that he would work with them to see
their concerns addressed in Conference.

The one pipeline protection measure that I
discussed earlier remains in the bill, but it is now found at §502. Providing
requirements for vessels anchored in established Anchorage grounds.