To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the membership of the Commandant of the Coast Guard on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2136 To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the membership of the Commandant of the Coast Guard on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 23, 2021 Mr. CRIST (for himself and Mr. PALAZZO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be sub- sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the membership of the Commandant of the Coast Guard on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMANDANT OF THE COAST 3 GUARD ON THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF. 4 (a) MEMBERSHIP ON THE JOINT CHIEFS OF 5 STAFF.—Section 151(a) of title 10, United States Code, 6 is amended by adding at the end the following new para- 7 graph: 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 May 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2136.IH H2136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2136 IH ‘‘(9) The Commandant of the Coast Guard.’’. 1 (b) APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN; GRADE AND 2 RANK.—Section 152 of such title is amended— 3 (1) in subsection (b)(1)(B) by striking ‘‘or the 4 Commandant of the Marine Corps’’ and inserting 5 ‘‘the Commandant of the Marine Corps, or the Com- 6 mandant of the Coast Guard’’; and 7 (2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘Navy’’ and 8 inserting ‘‘Navy or Coast Guard’’. 9 (c) VICE CHAIRMAN.—Section 154(f) of such title is 10 amended by striking ‘‘Navy’’ and inserting ‘‘Navy or 11 Coast Guard’’. 12 (d) INCLUSION ON THE JOINT STAFF.—Section 13 155(a) of such title is amended— 14 (1) in paragraph (2)— 15 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 16 (A), by striking ‘‘(other than the Coast 17 Guard)’’; 18 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 19 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 20 (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 21 period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 22 (D) by adding at the end the following new 23 subparagraph: 24 ‘‘(D) the Coast Guard.’’; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 May 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2136.IH H2136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2136 IH (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘Secretary of 1 the military department having jurisdiction over that 2 armed force’’ and inserting ‘‘Secretary concerned’’. 3 (e) DUTIES AS MEMBER OF JOINT STAFF.—Section 4 302 of title 14, United States Code, is amended— 5 (1) by striking ‘‘The President may’’ and in- 6 serting the following: 7 ‘‘(a) The President may’’; and 8 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub- 9 section: 10 ‘‘(b)(1) The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall 11 also perform the duties prescribed for the Commandant 12 as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under section 13 151 of title 10. 14 ‘‘(2) To the extent that such action does not impair 15 the independence of the Commandant in the performance 16 of the Commandant’s duties as a member of the Joint 17 Chiefs of Staff, the Commandant shall inform the Sec- 18 retary of the department in which the Coast Guard is op- 19 erating regarding military advice rendered by members of 20 the Joint Chiefs of Staff on matters affecting such depart- 21 ment. 22 ‘‘(3) Subject to the authority, direction, and control 23 of the Secretary of Defense, the Commandant shall keep 24 the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 May 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2136.IH H2136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 2136 IH is operating fully informed of significant military oper- 1 ations affecting the duties and responsibilities of such Sec- 2 retary.’’. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:03 May 20, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2136.IH H2136 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS