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Executive Order 14116 🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority Constitutional Fidelity (+0.60) 📜 5th Amend: Regulatory Execution with Due Process

Executive Order 14116—Amending Regulations Relating to the Safeguarding of Vessels, Harbors, Ports, and Waterfront Facilities of the United States

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Wednesday, February 21, 2024
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9 min read (1,777 words)
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89 Fed. Reg. 13971

Executive Brief • At a Glance

⏱️ 9 min read (1,777 words) • ● In Effect
🎯 Primary Mandate

Part 6 of title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended by: (a) Amending section 6.01-3 to read as follows: " 6.01-3.

⚖️ Constitutional Footing
🏛️✅ Zone 1: Maximum Authority
Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
📜 5th Amend: Regulatory Execution with Due Process
🏛️ Scope & Affected Sectors
Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

Signed by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on February 21, 2024, this order concerns Amending Regulations Relating to the Safeguarding of Vessels, Harbors, Ports, and Waterfront Facilities of the United States. Section 1 . Amendments . Part 6 of title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended by: (a) Amending section 6.01-3 to read as follows: " 6.01-3. Captain of the Port . Captain of the Port , as used in this part, means the officer of the Coast Guard, under the command of a District Commander, so designated by the Commandant for the purpose of giving immediate direction to Coast Guard law enforcement activities…

Constitutional Assessment: Evaluated against the Fifth Amendment, this action touches upon property or economic rights. An early statesman would insist upon strict adherence to due process of law and the constitutional guarantee that private holdings shall not be encumbered or taken for public purposes without just compensation and lawful process.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

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Amendments

Part 6 of title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended by: (a) Amending section 6.01-3 to read as follows: " 6.01-3.

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Coordination

In enforcing regulations amended by this order, the Commandant shall coordinate with the Department of Justice and other relevant executive departments and agencies, as appropriate under applicable law or policy.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
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The Framers' Constitutional Council

1787 Prism

Evaluating this order against the constitutional debates of 1787 and the limits of Article II executive power.

🏛️✅ Zone 1 (Maximum Authority)
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"When the President acts pursuant to an express or implied authorization of Congress, his authority is at its maximum, for it includes all that he possesses in his own right plus all that Congress can delegate."

— Justice Robert H. Jackson, Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer (1952) Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
JM

James Madison

Separation of Powers & Legislative Primacy

"The constitutional magistracy was designed not to invent policy, but to be the faithful instrument of the laws passed by the people's representatives." — Speech in the First Congress (1789)

Madison would approve the structural posture of this order. The President acts strictly in subordination to statutory authority granted under Article II, Section 3 ("take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed"). The checks and balances hold firm because the policy origin remains with the legislature.

Madisonian Stance: Concurring (Statutory)
AH

Alexander Hamilton

The Energetic Executive & Unified Command

"A feeble Executive implies a feeble execution of the government; and a government ill executed, whatever it may be in theory, must be, in practice, a bad government." — Federalist No. 70 (1788)

Hamilton would view this directive as the natural and indispensable functioning of administrative leadership. Without the power to coordinate agencies, manage personnel, and resolve operational ambiguities, the modern presidency would be reduced to an impotent figurehead.

Hamiltonian Stance: Supportive of Execution
GM

George Mason

Bill of Rights, Due Process & 10th Amendment

"The purse and the sword ought never to be in the same hands... nor the liberties of the citizen placed at the pleasure of a single magistrate." — Virginia Ratifying Convention (1788)

George Mason and the Anti-Federalists would sound a fierce warning. They feared that Article II would inevitably evolve into an elective monarchy. When an executive order impacts private rights, property, or civil liberties without individualized judicial process, Mason would see their darkest predictions verified.

Anti-Federalist Stance: High Bill of Rights Scrutiny
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Five Measurable "Constitutional Friction" Dimensions

An objective audit measuring potential separation-of-powers tension against the United States Constitution and established Supreme Court doctrine.

⚖️ Discretionary Twilight Zone
55 / 100 friction index
Dimension 1 • Art. I, §1 & §8

Legislative Encroachment & Purse

High Friction

Touches upon core congressional prerogatives: raises appropriations reallocation, tariff imposition, or statutory preemption questions.

Benchmark: Power of the purse, taxes/tariffs, and rule of law reserved to Congress.
Dimension 2 • Art. II, §1 & §3

Executive Scope & Faithfulness

Moderate Friction

Directs internal executive branch machinery, agency workflows, and federal personnel.

Benchmark: Faithfully execute laws enacted by Congress vs. unilateral decree.
Dimension 3 • 10th Amendment

Federalism & State Sovereignty

High Friction

Creates friction with the Tenth Amendment by conditioning state grants, mandating local compliance, or preempting state police powers.

Benchmark: Police powers and un-delegated responsibilities reserved to the States.
Dimension 4 • 5th & 14th Amendments

Due Process & Individual Rights

Moderate Friction

Applies regulatory or compliance standards to private contractors or commercial entities.

Benchmark: Protection of private property, contracts, liberty, and procedural justice.
Dimension 5 • Separation of Powers

Youngstown Jacksonian Tier

Low Friction

The President operates strictly as the constitutional Chief Executive, carrying out policy established by Congress with strong statutory backing.

Benchmark: Express or Implied Congressional Authorization
⚖️ Audit Synthesis

This order operates within Justice Jackson’s Zone of Twilight, resting upon concurrent presidential authority or congressional silence.

Weighted composite: Art. I (25%), Art. II (25%), Federalism (15%), Due Process (15%), Youngstown (20%).
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How to read these dimensions: Executive power expands whenever an administration acts without explicit statutory authorization from Congress (Article I), touches upon police powers historically reserved to the states (Tenth Amendment), or limits private rights and property without judicial process. A low friction score indicates strict concordance with enacted law; a high friction score highlights orders testing the limits of presidential discretion.
Total Words
1,777
11,122 characters
Estimated Read Time
9 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
15.3
College Level
Language Tone Score
+0.60
Constitutional Fidelity
How is this scored?
Text size:

Official Archival Text

View Source Document

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 1 of title II of the Act of June 15, 1917, as amended (46 U.S.C. 70051) (the "Act"), and in addition to the finding in Executive Order 10173 of October 18, 1950, and any other declaration or finding in force under section 1 of the Act, I find that the security of the United States is endangered by reason of disturbances in the international relations of the United States that exist as a result of persistent and increasingly sophisticated malicious cyber campaigns against the United States, and that such disturbances continue to endanger such relations, and hereby order that:

Section 1 . #sec-1

Amendments . Part 6 of title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended by: (a) Amending section 6.01-3 to read as follows: " 6.01-3. Captain of the Port . Captain of the Port , as used in this part, means the officer of the Coast Guard, under the command of a District Commander, so designated by the Commandant for the purpose of giving immediate direction to Coast Guard law enforcement activities within the Captain of the Port's assigned area. In addition, the District Commander will be Captain of the Port with respect to the remaining areas in the District not assigned to officers designated by the Commandant as Captain of the Port."; (b) Amending section 6.01-5 to read as follows: " 6.01-5. Security zone . Security zone , as used in this part, means all areas of land, water, or land and water, which are so designated by the Captain of the Port for such time as the Captain of the Port deems necessary to prevent damage or injury to any vessel or waterfront facility, to safeguard ports, harbors, territories, or waters of the United States or to secure the observance of the rights and obligations of the United States."; (c) Adding after the existing section 6.01-6 the following new section: " 6.01-7. Damage . Damage , as used in this part in connection with any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure, has the meaning ascribed to "damage" under 18 U.S.C. 1030(e)(8)."; (d) Adding after the new section 6.01-7 the following new section: " 6.01-8. Cyber incident . Cyber incident , as used in this part, has the meaning ascribed to an "incident" under 44 U.S.C. 3552(b)(2)."; (e) Amending section 6.04-5 to read as follows: " 6.04-5. Preventing access of persons, articles, or things, including any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure, to vessels, or waterfront facilities . The Captain of the Port may prevent any person, article, or thing, including any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure, from boarding or being taken or placed on board any vessel or entering or being taken into or upon or placed in or upon any waterfront facility whenever it appears to the Captain of the Port that such action is necessary in order to secure such vessel from damage or injury or to prevent damage or injury to any vessel, or waterfront facility, including any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure therein or thereon, or waters of the United States, or to secure the observances of rights and obligations of the United States."; (f) Amending section 6.04-6 to read as follows: " 6.04-6. Establishing security zones; prohibitions with respect thereto . The Captain of a Port may establish security zones subject to the terms and conditions specified in § 6.01-5. No person or vessel shall enter a security zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port. No person shall board or take or place any article or thing, including any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure, on board any vessel in a security zone without the permission of the Captain of the Port. No person shall take or place any article or thing upon any waterfront facility in any such zone without such permission."; (g) Amending section 6.04-7 to read as follows: " 6.04-7. Visitation, search, and removal . As consistent with law, the Captain of the Port may cause to be inspected and searched at any time any vessel, waterfront facility, or security zone, or any person, article, or thing, including any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure thereon or therein, within the jurisdiction of the United States, may place guards upon any such vessel, waterfront facility, or security zone and may remove therefrom any and all persons, articles, or things, including any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure, not specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port to go or remain thereon or therein."; (h) Amending section 6.04-8 to read as follows: " 6.04-8. Possession and control of vessels . The Captain of the Port may supervise and control the movement of any vessel and shall take full or partial possession or control of any vessel or any part thereof, within the territorial waters of the United States under the Captain of the Port's jurisdiction, whenever it appears to the Captain of the Port that such action is necessary in order to secure such vessel from damage or injury, including damage to any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure thereon or therein, or to prevent damage or injury to any vessel or waterfront facility or waters of the United States, or to secure the observance of rights and obligations of the United States."; (i) Amending section 6.10-7 to read as follows: " 6.10-7. Identification credentials . The identification credential to be issued by the Commandant shall be known as the Coast Guard Port Security Card, and the form of such credential, and the conditions and the manner of its issuance shall be as prescribed by the Commandant after consultation with the Secretary of Labor. The Commandant shall not issue a Coast Guard Port Security Card unless the Commandant is satisfied that the character and habits of life of the applicant therefor are such as to authorize the belief that the presence of such individual on board a vessel or within a waterfront facility would not be inimical to the security of the United States. The Commandant shall revoke and require the surrender of a Coast Guard Port Security Card when the Commandant is no longer satisfied that the holder is entitled thereto. The Commandant may recognize for the same purpose such other credentials as the Commandant may designate in lieu of the Coast Guard Port Security Card."; (j) Amending section 6.14-1 to read as follows: " 6.14-1. Safety measures . The Commandant, in order to achieve the purposes of this part, may prescribe such conditions and restrictions relating to the safety of waterfront facilities and vessels in port as the Commandant finds to be necessary under existing circumstances. Such conditions and restrictions may extend, but shall not be limited to, the inspection, operation, maintenance, guarding, and manning of, and fire-prevention measures for, such vessels and waterfront facilities. Such conditions and restrictions relating to the safety of waterfront facilities and vessels in port may also extend to measures the Commandant finds to be necessary under existing circumstances to prevent, detect, assess, and remediate an actual or threatened cyber incident that could cause damage or injury to vessels, harbors, ports, or waterfront facilities."; (k) Amending section 6.14-2 to read as follows: " 6.14-2. Condition of waterfront facility a danger to vessel . Whenever the Captain of the Port finds that the mooring of any vessel to a wharf, dock, pier, or other waterfront structure would endanger such vessel, or any other vessel, or the harbor or any facility therein by reason of conditions existing on or about such wharf, dock, pier, or other waterfront structure, including inadequate guard service, insufficient lighting, fire hazards, inadequate fire protection, unsafe machinery, internal disturbance, damage to any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure, actual or threatened cyber incident, or unsatisfactory operation, the Captain of the Port may prevent the mooring of any vessel to such wharf, dock, pier, or other waterfront structure until the unsatisfactory condition or conditions so found are corrected, and the Captain of the Port may, for the same reasons, after any vessel has been moored, compel the shifting of such vessel from any such wharf, dock, pier, or other waterfront structure."; (l) Amending section 6.16-1 to read as follows: " 6.16-1. Reporting of sabotage, subversive activity, or an actual or threatened cyber incident . Evidence of sabotage, subversive activity, or an actual or threatened cyber incident involving or endangering any vessel, harbor, port, or waterfront facility, including any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure thereon or therein, shall be reported immediately to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (for any cyber incident), and the Captain of the Port, or to their respective representatives."; (m) Amending section 6.16-3 to read as follows: " 6.16-3. Precautions against sabotage . The master, owner, agent, or operator of a vessel or waterfront facility shall take all necessary precautions to protect the vessel, waterfront facility, and cargo, including any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure thereon or therein, from sabotage."; and (n) Amending section 6.19-1 to read as follows: " 6.19-1. Primary responsibility . Nothing contained in this part shall be construed as relieving the masters, owners, operators, and agents of vessels or other waterfront facilities from their primary responsibility for the protection and security of such vessels or waterfront facilities, including any data, information, network, program, system, or other digital infrastructure thereon or therein.".

Sec. 2 . #sec-2

Coordination . In enforcing regulations amended by this order, the Commandant shall coordinate with the Department of Justice and other relevant executive departments and agencies, as appropriate under applicable law or policy.

Sec. 3 . #sec-3

General Provisions . (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR. The White House, February 21, 2024.

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 14,116, 89 Fed. Reg. 13,971 (Feb. 21, 2024).