WASHINGTON - The Senate on Thursday passed and sent to the president a bill that approves the spending of $8.2 billion for the Coast Guard, providing financial backing for the agency's expanded role in ensuring the security of the nation's coasts.

The Senate action, on a voice vote, came a day after the House passed the legislation 425-1.

The bill, for the budget year beginning Oct. 1, increases active-duty Coast Guard personnel from the current level of 37,000 to 45,500, and gives officers authority to carry firearms and make arrests for maritime security violations.

In addition to its growing security responsibilities, the Coast Guard carries out search and rescue missions, interdiction of contraband, maritime resource protection and national defense functions.

The bill omits language included in the original House bill that would have required the Coast Guard to approve security plans for every foreign vessel that enters a U.S. port.

Instead, because of the high cost involved, House and Senate negotiators decided to stay with the current system under which a foreign government or its designated agent is responsible for approving each ship's security plan.

The legislation requires the development of a long-range vessel tracking system and a plan to improve the collection and sharing of maritime intelligence by federal agencies.

Last year the Coast Guard was put under the jurisdiction of the new Homeland Security Department.

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The bill is H.R. 2443.

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