Ensuring Coast Guard Readiness Act

The "Ensuring Coast Guard Readiness Act" proposes to create a limited exception to the existing prohibition on constructing Coast Guard vessels in foreign shipyards. This exception would allow the President to authorize such construction if it is determined to be in the national security interest of the United States. Specific conditions must be met for this exception to apply: the foreign shipyard must be located in a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member country or an Indo-Pacific country with a mutual defense treaty with the U.S. Additionally, the cost of construction must be demonstrably less than if performed in a domestic shipyard. Before any contract is made, the President must transmit notice to Congress, initiating a 30-day waiting period . Furthermore, the Commandant of the Coast Guard must certify that the foreign shipyard is not owned or operated by a Chinese company or a multinational company domiciled in the People's Republic of China, ensuring strategic security.