The Maritime Administration on Thursday proposed procedures to handle applications for deepwater port licenses, reflecting a transfer of application processing management from the United States Coast Guard to the agency, according to the proposed rule.
The agency said the proposal would make it the lead for environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act for all deepwater port license applications, as required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. The Coast Guard’s responsibilities for design, construction, equipment, operation of deepwater ports, and navigational safety would not change and would continue to be administered by the Coast Guard, the document states.
The proposal says MARAD would lead application processing, conduct NEPA reviews, and assume rulemaking authority over application processing. The Coast Guard would retain responsibility for risk and consequence assessments and for technical and safety authorities in 33 CFR parts 149 and 150. The agencies concluded that consolidating processing functions under MARAD would clarify and streamline reviews and improve efficiency in issuing licensing decisions, the notice says.
MARAD proposes to adopt provisions of 33 CFR part 148 related to application processing and environmental review, as well as clarifying revisions the Coast Guard proposed in 2015. The proposed changes include allowing applicants to submit existing hydrographic and engineering geological survey data collected within the prior five years, or longer with MARAD approval; requiring only one printed copy and one electronic copy of applications; and removing obsolete procedures and unused definitions. The proposal would also replace prior agency-driven timeline extensions with a process that suspends timelines only at an applicant’s request when responding to additional information requests.
The notice states the proposal would not impose new NEPA compliance requirements on applicants because the 2026 law shifted NEPA responsibilities to MARAD by statute. The application fee would remain $350,000, and applicants must continue to reimburse the government for processing costs, according to the document.
The proposed rule cites Executive Order 14154 on efficient administration of energy-related licensing and permitting and says the consolidation is intended to promote that policy. A determination under Executive Order 14192 on whether any final rule would be considered deregulatory will be made if a final rule is issued, the agency wrote.
Comments should be filed by Jan. 4, 2027. Comments may be submitted at regulations.gov under DOT Docket Number MARAD-2026-0728 or by mail or hand delivery to the Docket Management Facility at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, as stated in the notice. The document was signed by President Donald Trump.