To prohibit the Commandant of the Coast Guard from issuing guidance that is less restrictive on prohibiting divisive or hate symbols and flags than the memorandum titled "Coast Guard Policy and Lawful Order Prohibiting Divisive or Hate Symbols and Flags", and for other purposes.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill locks in a floor for Coast Guard rules on divisive or hate symbols and flags. It says the Commandant may not issue guidance that is less restrictive than the November 20, 2025 Coast Guard memorandum titled Coast Guard Policy and Lawful Order Prohibiting Divisive or Hate Symbols and Flags, COMDTINST 12750.4. The practical effect is to prevent future Coast Guard leadership from relaxing that policy through guidance unless Congress changes the law or a future policy remains at least as restrictive.
Who Benefits and How
Coast Guard service members who rely on consistent anti-harassment and anti-hate-symbol standards benefit because the bill reduces the risk of a looser future guidance document. Commanders and equal-opportunity personnel benefit from a statutory floor that clarifies how far future policy can be relaxed.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Commandant and Coast Guard policy staff bear the constraint because future guidance must remain at least as restrictive as COMDTINST 12750.4. Personnel who want looser rules for displaying symbols or flags face a legal barrier to that change.
Key Provisions
- Bars the Commandant from issuing weaker guidance on divisive or hate symbols and flags.
- Uses COMDTINST 12750.4, issued November 20, 2025, as the minimum policy baseline.
- Restricts future Coast Guard policy changes unless they keep equal or stronger prohibitions.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Bars the Coast Guard Commandant from weakening the Coast Guard policy that prohibits divisive or hate symbols and flags below the restrictions in COMDTINST 12750.4 issued on November 20, 2025.
Key Policy Areas
Military, Civil Rights, Government Administration
Primary Purpose
Bars the Coast Guard Commandant from weakening the Coast Guard policy that prohibits divisive or hate symbols and flags below the restrictions in COMDTINST 12750.4 issued on November 20, 2025.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Coast Guard service members
- Coast Guard equal-opportunity personnel
- Coast Guard commanders
Identified Costs
- Coast Guard Commandant
- Coast Guard policy staff
- Personnel seeking looser symbol rules
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
Mr. Torres of New York introduced the following bill; which …
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
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