WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Senate today approved S. 1280, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2005, by unanimous consent.

The bill as passed included an amendment sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Co-Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Fisheries and Coast Guard Subcommittee Chair Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to aid the Coast Guard in helping victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The Inouye-Snowe-Cantwell amendment:

· Authorizes a supplemental $200 million for Coast Guard operations and maintenance associated with Katrina for Fiscal Year 2005, as well as for the increased costs of fuel in Fiscal Year 2005.

· Authorizes a supplemental $300 million for capital improvements for Coast Guard facilities in Fiscal Year 2005, including air and vessel assets, and for equipment that needs to be replaced, including aids to navigation to ensure safe transits through shipping lanes.

· Officially commends the Coast Guard for its exemplary response to Hurricane Katrina and calls for the Coast Guard to play a major role in any future national emergency or natural disaster.

· Authorizes the Coast Guard to use its maritime safety and security teams for missions other than security missions, such as response to natural disasters like Katrina.

· Directs the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General (DHS IG) to conduct an investigation into vessel charter contracts, entered into by or on behalf of the U.S. Government as part of the Katrina recovery effort, to determine whether the contract price was fair and reasonable, and based on current, accurate and complete cost and pricing data.

· Extends the use of annual leave for Coast Guard members involved in the response effort to Hurricane Katrina.

· Requires the Coast Guard to report to Congress on Katrina's impact on Coast Guard operations and facilities and on navigable waterways, facilities located in such waterways, and on the environment.

· Provides the Coast Guard with authority to temporarily extend the expiration date of merchant marine licenses and certificates of inspection for vessels.

Senator Snowe introduced the bill on June 21, 2005 and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation ordered it reported on June 23, 2005. Co-sponsors of the bill include Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Co-Chairman Dan Inouye, Ranking Member of the Fisheries and Coast Guard Subcommittee Maria Cantwell, and Senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.).

S. 1280 authorizes $8.2 billion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 and for $8.8 billion for FY07. This represents an eight percent annual budget increase over the levels contained in last year's authorization bill. The authorization approved today will continue to allow the Coast Guard to perform non-homeland security missions such as search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, and marine environmental protection, as well as fund the necessary missions related to ports, waterways, and coastal security.

The bill includes numerous measures that would allow the Coast Guard to enforce provisions of the Maritime Transportation Security Act, an essential element in securing the nation's ports and waterways. Additionally, it would address maritime safety issues by allowing the Coast Guard to continue training both the commercial fishing industry and the recreational boating public in issues regarding safety at sea. It also includes a pilot program to improve commercial fishing vessel safety.

The bill authorizes $100 million for the Coast Guard to operate and maintain the polar icebreakers. It also calls on the Coast Guard to take all necessary measures to maintain its current fleet of polar icebreakers, including a plan for the long-term re-capitalization of these assets.

In response to the final report of the United States Commission on Ocean Policy, this bill includes provisions that would allow the Coast Guard to work with other federal, state, and local agencies in developing plans to assist vessels in distress, thus eliminating the potential for loss of life and environmental damage. It also directs the Coast Guard to develop steps that will allow it to better detect and interdict foreign vessels that are violating fishing regulations.