Seeking to rein in the Coast Guard’s troubled Deepwater program, a House panel on Tuesday approved a bill that would require significantly more oversight of the program’s contractors.

The measure (HR 2830), which would reauthorize the Coast Guard at $8.3 billion in fiscal 2008, was approved by voice vote by the Homeland Security Committee, after lawmakers adopted by voice vote a substitute amendment. The amendment, among other things, added language to overhaul the agency’s Deepwater recapitalization program.

Deepwater, a 25-year modernization of the Coast Guard’s aging fleet of ships and aircraft, has been plagued by errors, delays and cost overruns under the management of a consortium led by Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp.

The amendment would require more open competition among Deepwater vendors, as well as full technical reviews on design and engineering proposals. It would order performance measurements be set for all contractors and subcontractors.

The measure also would require the department to test and certify each craft procured under Deepwater before taking final delivery.

The Homeland Security Committee also added almost $300 million in authorized funding for the program, bringing its total to about $1 billion in fiscal 2008.

This is roughly equal to what was appropriated in fiscal 2007, but still nearly $700 million less than what was contained in an authorization bill that passed the House last year but did not see action in the Senate.