Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Anti-Reflagging Act of 1987
Public Law 100-239 · H.R. 2598 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jan 11, 1988 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Michael Lowry (D-WA-7)
Cosponsors (3): Rep. Don Young, Rep. John Miller,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(House agreed to Senate amendment with an amendment)
Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Anti-Reflagging Act of 1987 - Amends the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act to revise the definition of "vessel of the United States" to insert references to specific provisions of existing law and to include any vessel not equipped with propulsion machinery and used exclusively for pleasure.
Amends Federal law to revise the definition of "fisheries" to include processing, storing, and transporting (except in foreign commerce) in the navigable waters of the United States or in the exclusive economic zone, of currently-specified marine life and objects.
Requires a rebuilt vessel, in order to be issued a fishery license or an appropriately endorsed registry, to have been rebuilt in the United States.
Provides for exceptions to the requirement that vessels must be U.S. built or rebuilt in order to be issued a fishery license or registry. Requires any fishery license or registry issued to a foreign-built vessel to be endorsed to restrict the vessel from catching, taking, or harvesting.
Revises requirements regarding: (1) U.S. citizenship or permanent resident alien status for radio officers and other crew members of vessels in certain circumstances; (2) the percentage of the crew which is able to understand any order spoken by the officers; and (3) the percentage of the deck crew having merchant mariner's documents endorsed for a rating of at least able seaman. Allows not more than 25 percent of the unlicensed seamen on a fishing, fish processing, or fish tender vessel to be aliens allowed to be employed under the Immigration and Naturalization Act. Deems aliens employed on certain fishing-related vessels to be employed in the United States for purposes of specified provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act relating to unlawful employment of aliens.
Authorizes vessels for which coastwise, Great Lakes, or fishery licenses, or appropriately endorsed registries, were issued before July 28, 1987, to continue in such trades for one year or until their documentation is renewed, whichever come later.
Declares that a vessel owned by a corporation is not eligible for a fishery license unless the controlling interest in the corporation is owned by individuals who are U.S. citizens. Exempts from such provision certain vessels licensed before July 28, 1987.
Directs the Secretary of Commerce to submit reports to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the House of Representatives concerning: (1) the potential impact on the development of the U.S. fishing industry of the transportation of fish products by vessels of the United States from foreign fish processing vessels to points in the United States; and (2) the trends in the development of fishery resources under the exclusive fishery management authority of the United States, including the effect of this Act on the U.S. fishing industry.
Authorizes the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue a certificate of documentation to each of eight named vessels.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Coast Guard and Navigation Subcommittee; Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee; Merchant Marine Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.
- Jan 11, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-239.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 30, 1987PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 22, 1987Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment by Voice Vote.
- Dec 21, 1987Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Voice Vote.
- Dec 17, 1987FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Nov 9, 1987FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 351 - 40 (Record Vote No: 424).House roll call 424
- Nov 5, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jul 28, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Coast Guard and Navigation Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jun 10, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Coast Guard and Navigation Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jun 4, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.