The Coast Guard's responsibilities are specified in legislation establishing the agency as well as authorization bills typically passed by Congress every one to two years and in Department of Homeland Security appropriations acts. 2518 , reported by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and S. 1129 , reported by the Senate Commerce Committee, authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for FY2018 and FY2019 and have provisions related to the agency's safety mission, as discussed in this report. Towing Vessel Safety

In 2004, Congress directed the Coast Guard to establish an inspection regime for towing vessels—the tugs or towboats that push or pull barges—similar to that which exists for ships (The Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004, P.L. The Coast Guard missed this deadline, but did issue a final rule pertaining to the inspection of vessels on June 20, 2016, while leaving the hours-of-service limit for further consideration and potentially a separate rulemaking. The new safety requirements for towing vessels are going into effect at a time when more crude oil and chemicals are being transported by barge due to an increase in domestic production of oil and of natural gas, which is a feedstock for many chemical plants. The report suggested that the Coast Guard rely more on independent vessel classification societies (described in the Appendix ) to perform inspections of U.S.-flag vessels, particularly because the classification societies update their equipment standards more frequently than the Coast Guard does. Outside Review Is Critical of Vessel Traffic Services

A September 2016 review by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the Coast Guard's Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) centers (described in the Appendix ) found that they may not be achieving their purpose of reducing vessel accidents in harbors. In response to this problem, the agency revamped its safety program, and Congress has appropriated additional funds specifically for safety personnel. Less sea ice during late summer has led to increased maritime activity in the Arctic. The Coast Guard has begun testing electronic aids to navigation on the west coast and the Mississippi River. Should e-navigation replace physical aids or merely supplement them? The Coast Guard is responsible for enforcing correct fuel use. The Coast Guard is developing regulations as to the placement of LNG fuel tanks on vessels, the protocol for LNG refueling operations in ports, and spill response requirements. The Coast Guard conducted a study to serve as a guide in determining desirable buffer zones between wind farms and shipping routes along the Atlantic Coast. H.R.
Congress has made the U.S. Coast Guard responsible for safeguarding vessel traffic on the nation's coastal and inland waterways. Congress typically passes Coast Guard authorization bills every one to two years and appropriates funds to the agency annually under the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. H.R. 2518, reported by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and S. 1129, reported by the Senate Commerce Committee, authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for FY2018 and FY2019 and have provisions related to the agency's safety mission.
The fleet of vessels the Coast Guard inspects for safety reasons recently doubled because the agency is now responsible for inspecting tugs and towboats that push or pull barges (towing vessels), in addition to ships. In June 2016 the Coast Guard issued a final rule on this matter. The Coast Guard is now considering an hours-of-service limit for crews working on towing vessels in an effort to reduce accidents caused by fatigue and is reevaluating the crewing requirements for certain seagoing barges. These potential changes are controversial and could raise the cost of transporting petroleum and chemical products by barge.
Other current controversies related to the Coast Guard's vessel safety responsibilities include the following:
Whether the agency should place greater reliance on nonprofit vessel classification societies to perform vessel inspections in place of Coast Guard personnel, as recommended by an independent review panel requested by Congress. The effectiveness of Coast Guard vessel traffic service centers in preventing harbor accidents, which is questionable due to insufficient staff experience and expertise. The Coast Guard's ability to operate in the Arctic, where a decline in sea ice during the late summer has led to increased maritime activity. The potential for replacing physical aids to navigation, such as channel marking buoys and beacons, with virtual aids utilizing GPS and electronic charts, at significant cost saving. The potential use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of Coast Guard sea patrols. Guidelines for the safe refueling of ships using liquefied natural gas (LNG). Enforcement of cleaner fuels for ships; cleaner fuels are reportedly causing some ships to have engine problems and are believed by some to be part of the reason for a ship collision in Houston in March 2015. Coast Guard guidelines for establishing buffer zones between offshore wind farms and shipping corridors.