U.S. House Passes Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill With Amendment to LNG Security Provision
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2830 yesterday, which reauthorizes funding for the U.S. Coast Guard. The bill includes an amendment that will allow the Coast Guard to consider state and local security resources when determining whether resources are available to protect LNG terminals and vessels only if the state or local government “has entered into a contract, cooperative agreement, or other arrangement to provide the services.” The previous version of the bill would have prohibited the Coast Guard from considering any state and local security resources.
Earlier this week, President Bush had threatened to veto the bill over a provision that would codify the Coast Guard’s responsibility to enforce security zones around LNG vessels and import terminals. Following the approval of H.R. 2830, the White House stated that it remained concerned with certain provisions of the bill, but welcomed the passage of the state and local security resources amendment. The Associated Press carries the story.