6 U.S.C. § 468 — Preserving Coast Guard mission performance

(a) Transferred This subsection's text has been struck; the heading "Transferred" remains but carries no further provisions.

(b) Transfer The Coast Guard's authorities, functions^*, personnel, and assets^* move to the Department^* of Homeland^* Security. The Coast Guard stays a separate, distinct entity inside the Department, and this transfer includes the authorities and functions the Secretary^* of Transportation used to have over the Coast Guard.

(c) Maintenance of status of functions and assets No matter what else this chapter says, the Coast Guard's authorities, functions, and abilities to carry out its missions must stay intact, without any real cuts, after it moves to the Department — unless a later law specifically changes that.

(d) Certain transfers prohibited No Coast Guard mission, function, or asset (including, for this subsection, any ship, aircraft, or helicopter) may be permanently redirected to mainly serve any other part of the Department, except for details or assignments that don't reduce the Coast Guard's ability to carry out its own missions.

(e) Changes to missions (1) Prohibition: the Secretary may not substantially or significantly cut the Coast Guard's missions, or its ability to carry them out, unless a later law specifically allows it. (2) Waiver: the Secretary may waive that rule, but only for up to 90 days, and only by declaring and certifying to Congress that there is a clear, compelling, and immediate need for the waiver. That certification must give a detailed justification, including the reasons and specific facts showing that the Nation and the Coast Guard cannot respond effectively without the waiver.

(f) Direct reporting to Secretary Once the Coast Guard is transferred to the Department, the Commandant reports directly to the Secretary, without having to go through any other Department official.

(g) Operation as a service in the Navy None of this section's conditions and limits apply when the Coast Guard is operating as a service within the Navy, under section 3 of title 14.