H.R. 7084 would amend the criteria used to determine whether a vessel may operate in U.S. waters or transfer cargo at a U.S. port. Specifically, the bill would authorize those activities for vessels that are otherwise prohibited under current law if the vessels are experiencing an emergency. In addition, the bill would prohibit entry by vessels that have accessed foreign ports or marine terminals previously controlled by U.S. citizens and later nationalized or expropriated by certain foreign governments, as determined by the Department of State.
Vessels that unlawfully enter U.S. ports are subject to civil penalties assessed by the Coast Guard, which are recorded in the budget as revenues. Enacting H.R. 7084 could affect the amount of civil penalty collections by changing the number of vessels authorized to enter the United States. Based on the number of expected cases, CBO estimates that the change in revenues under the bill would total less than $500,000 over the 2026-2036 period.
CBO further estimates that implementing the administrative requirements in H.R. 7084 would cost the Coast Guard and the Department of State less than $500,000 over the 2026‑2031 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Aaron Krupkin (for the Coast Guard) and Sunita D’Monte (for the Department of State). The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
