Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Coast Guard Academy Opportunity Act”.
Coast Guard Academy Opportunity Act
A BILL
To amend title 14, United States Code, to modify the process for congressional nomination of individuals for appointment as cadets at the Coast Guard Academy, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Academy nominations
Appointment— Subsection (a) of section 182 of title 14, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
“(a) Nominations
“(1) Congressional nominations
“(A) Appointment requirement—Half of each incoming class of the Academy shall be composed of cadets nominated by the following:
“(i) The Vice President or, if there is no Vice President, by the President pro tempore of the Senate.
“(ii) A Senator.
“(iii) A Member of the House of Representatives.
“(iv) The Delegate to Congress from the District of Columbia, the Delegate to Congress from the Virgin Islands, the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico, the Delegate to Congress from Guam, the Delegate to Congress from American Samoa, or the Delegate to Congress from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
“(B) Nominees—Each Senator, Member of the House of Representatives, and Delegate to Congress, including such Resident Commissioner, is entitled to nominate 3 persons each year. Cadets who do not graduate on time shall not count against the allocations pursuant to clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (A).
“(2) Qualification requirements—An individual shall be qualified for nomination, selection, and appointment as a cadet at the Academy only if the individual—
“(A) is a citizen or national of the United States; and
“(B) meets such minimum requirements that the Secretary may establish.
“(3) Nomination information—The Superintendent shall furnish to any Member of Congress, upon the written request of such Member, the name of the Member of Congress or other nominating authority responsible for the nomination of any named or identified person for appointment to the Academy.”
Application— The amendment made by subsection (a)—
shall apply beginning with academic program year 2015, subject to subsection (c), and with respect to each academic program year thereafter; and
shall not affect the application of section 182 of title 14, United States Code, as in effect before the enactment of this section, with respect to appointment of cadets who will matriculate to the Coast Guard Academy before such academic program year.
Transition—
Nominations— Notwithstanding the amendment made by subsection (a), with respect to the nomination of individuals pursuant to section 182 of title 14, United States Code, as amended by such subsection, who will matriculate to the Coast Guard Academy in academic program year 2015, not less than 25 percent of the class shall be from nominations made pursuant to clauses (i) through (iv) of subsection (a)(1)(A) of such section 182 (as amended by subsection (a) of this section).
Additional action— The Secretary (as that term is used in that section) may take any additional action the Secretary believes necessary and proper to provide for the transition to the nomination, selection, and appointment process provided under this section.