The Coast Guard Protection and Accountability Act of 2024 is a legislative bill that outlines various provisions, including directives to review past actions, study oversight of the Coast Guard Academy, align officer expertise, and consider policies related to sexual assault reporting and victim transfer. It also covers procedural adjustments such as direct hiring authority and modifications to report delivery dates.

Congress found that from the 1990s to 2006, the Coast Guard Academy mishandled cases of sexual assault and failed to hold perpetrators accountable, and even after an investigation called Operation Fouled Anchor, did not make the findings public or reform its practices until a news report in 2023 prompted action. In November 2023, the Coast Guard responded by planning changes like improved training and better support for victims to ensure accountability and public trust.

The section adds a new requirement for the Commandant of the Coast Guard to submit an annual report to Congress from 2025 to 2028, detailing the progress on specific actions meant to improve accountability and transparency. The report must include the status of each action, plans for unfinished work, measures of effectiveness, and any extra efforts to address sexual assault and harassment in the Coast Guard.

The Commandant is required to report to certain U.S. Congressional committees by March 1, 2025, and annually for three years after, about the progress of specific actions aimed at increasing accountability and transparency, as described in a key memorandum. The report must outline the status, plans for completion, effectiveness metrics, and additional efforts related to addressing sexual assault and harassment within the Coast Guard.

The section outlines a requirement for the Government Accountability Office to report on the Coast Guard's efforts to address sexual assault and harassment, and for the Coast Guard to respond to the report with implementation plans or explanations for any disagreements with recommendations.

The section mandates the Commandant of the Coast Guard to keep records related to investigations of misconduct by Coast Guard members for at least seven years. It requires a detailed final action memo and defines 'work product' to include various documents and correspondence associated with the investigation and decision.

The section requires the Coast Guard to keep records related to investigations of its members accused of misconduct for at least seven years. It specifies that documentation, such as reports, memos, and other related materials, must be maintained to provide a comprehensive record of the investigation and decision-making process.

The section mandates that the Commandant of the Coast Guard conduct a study on how the Coast Guard Academy is managed and overseen, particularly looking at the roles and qualifications of its advisory boards. A report with findings and improvement recommendations must be submitted to specific congressional committees within one year.

The section of the bill allows cadets who are victims of sexual assault or related offenses at the Coast Guard Academy to request a transfer to another Service Academy or to a Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at another college. The bill requires the request to be processed quickly, ensures the confidentiality of the records, and permits the cadet to express a preference for commissioning into the Coast Guard upon graduation.

The section discusses a legal amendment allowing the Secretary to designate certain Coast Guard officers as experts in military justice or healthcare. It outlines rules about their exclusion from the active promotion list, details their promotion process, and limits their promotion to the rank of captain.

The section allows the Secretary to select a small group of Coast Guard officers who have special expertise in military justice or healthcare. These officers will not appear on the general promotion list, will be promoted according to specific guidelines, and cannot be promoted beyond the rank of captain.

The section grants the Coast Guard's Commandant the power to directly hire qualified candidates for specific non-clinical and investigative roles focused on preventing and responding to harmful behaviors, bypassing certain usual federal hiring procedures, with this authority ending on September 30, 2034.

The Commandant of the Coast Guard is allowed to directly hire qualified non-clinical specialists and criminal investigative law enforcement personnel to address issues like harmful behaviors, including suicide and assault, without following the usual hiring procedures, but this authority will end on September 30, 2034.

The section adds a new policy to the United States Code that creates a "safe-to-report" policy for the Coast Guard. This policy ensures that members of the Coast Guard who report or are victims of sexual assault won't face severe punishment for minor misconduct related to the incident, and it requires tracking of such incidents without revealing personal identities.

The section establishes a "safe-to-report" policy for the Coast Guard, which allows members to report sexual assault without fear of punishment for minor misconduct that is discovered as a result. It also requires the tracking of these incidents and specifies how to judge the severity of such misconduct.

The section changes the deadline for the Coast Guard's sexual assault report. Instead of being due on January 15, it is now due on March 1.

The new changes to the law require that if a board decides an officer accused of sexual assault should stay in service, the case must be reviewed by a higher authority. This ensures that serious cases like sexual assault receive additional scrutiny before final decisions are made.

The bill allows a review board for the Coast Guard to downgrade an honorable discharge to a general discharge if it's proven that the former service member committed sexual assault or harassment during active duty. The process ensures procedural rights, such as the ability to present evidence and be notified of proceedings, and involves guidelines for evidence and representation.

The section describes how a board can change a former Coast Guard member's discharge status from "honorable" to "general (under honorable conditions)" if there is strong evidence they committed sexual assault or harassment while in service. It also explains that former members have rights during the review process, such as presenting evidence, having representation, and receiving written notice of the proceedings.