Congress · Laws

Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987

Public Law 100-298 · S. 858 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Apr 28, 1988 · Transportation and Public Works

Sponsor: Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ)

Cosponsors (17): Sen. Claiborne Pell, Sen. Jacob Hecht,

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 340 yea, 64 nay340–64
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.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, after consultation with historic preservation, recreational, commercial, and other interests, to prepare and publish guidelines to encourage the development of underwater parks and administrative cooperation related to historic shipwrecks.

Provides that the United States asserts title to any abandoned shipwreck that is: (1) embedded in submerged lands of a State; (2) embedded in coralline formations protected by a State on its submerged lands; or (3) on submerged lands of a State when such shipwreck is included or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Declares that any title to abandoned shipwrecks asserted under such conditions is transferred to the State in or on whose submerged lands the shipwreck is located.

States that any abandoned shipwreck in or on: (1) the public lands of the United States is the property of the United States; and (2) any Indian lands is the property of the Indian tribe owning such lands.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 100th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 341 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

341 yea64 nay26 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(237)

Rep. Bill ClayD-MO-1
Rep. Mervyn DymallyD-CA-31
Rep. Charles HayesD-IL-1
Rep. George CrockettD-MI-13
Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
Rep. Major OwensD-NY-12
Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-17
Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Ed TownsD-NY-11
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-16
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. John LewisD-GA-5
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Nancy PelosiD-CA-5
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Gary AckermanD-NY-7
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-10
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
Rep. Harold FordD-TN-9
Rep. Kenneth GrayD-IL-22
Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-18
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. William FordD-MI-15
Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-17
Rep. Chester AtkinsD-MA-5
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. Floyd FlakeD-NY-6
Rep. William CoyneD-PA-14
Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2
Rep. Thomas FogliettaD-PA-1
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. Thomas MantonD-NY-9
Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7
Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
Rep. Howard BermanD-CA-26
Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
Rep. Joseph KennedyD-MA-8
Rep. Meldon LevineD-CA-27
Rep. Bruce MorrisonD-CT-3
Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
Rep. Esteban TorresD-CA-34
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
Rep. Matthew MartínezD-CA-30
Rep. Robert BorskiD-PA-3
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
Rep. Albert EspyD-MS-2
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Ronald ColemanD-TX-16
Rep. Kweisi MfumeD-MD-7
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-8
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Albert BustamanteD-TX-23
Rep. Robert MrazekD-NY-3
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-10
Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
Rep. Richard LehmanD-CA-18
Rep. Sander LevinD-MI-17
Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
Rep. Lawrence SmithD-FL-16
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Jerry KleczkaD-WI-4
Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-28
Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
Rep. Benjamin CardinD-MD-3
Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
Rep. Jim MoodyD-WI-5
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-33
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
Rep. Thomas SawyerD-OH-14
Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
Rep. James TraficantD-OH-17
Rep. Peter KostmayerD-PA-8
Rep. Solomon OrtizD-TX-27
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-6
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
Rep. Peter ViscloskyD-IN-1
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. James JontzD-IN-5
Rep. Richard DurbinD-IL-20
Rep. John BryantD-TX-5
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-19
Rep. Rick BoucherD-VA-9
Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
Rep. David NagleD-IA-3
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
Rep. Robert WiseD-WV-3
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. Peter DeFazioD-OR-4
Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12
Rep. George HochbruecknerD-NY-1
Rep. Leslie AspinD-WI-1
Rep. Tom LantosD-CA-11
Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Edward FeighanD-OH-19
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Francis McCloskeyD-IN-8
Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
Rep. Harley StaggersD-WV-2
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
Rep. Robert TorricelliD-NJ-9
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Joseph BrennanD-ME-1
Rep. Terry BruceD-IL-19
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
Rep. Charles DowdyD-MS-4
Rep. Paul KanjorskiD-PA-11
Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
Rep. Marcy KapturD-OH-9
Rep. Charles McMillenD-MD-4
Rep. Ed JonesD-TN-8
Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. Joseph KolterD-PA-4
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. William RichardsonD-NM-3
Rep. Gerald SikorskiD-MN-6
Rep. Alan MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-32
Rep. Douglas BoscoD-CA-1
Rep. Bill HefnerD-NC-8
Rep. Louise SlaughterD-NY-30
Rep. David SkaggsD-CO-2
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4
Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
Rep. Bob CarrD-MI-6
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-11
Rep. Robert ClementD-TN-5
Rep. James GrantD-FL-2
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
Rep. Owen PickettD-VA-2
Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
Rep. James ClarkeD-NC-11
Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
Rep. Butler DerrickD-SC-3
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. David PriceD-NC-4
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. James BilbrayD-NV-1
Rep. Buddy MacKayD-FL-6
Rep. Jim CooperD-TN-4
Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Ben CampbellD-CO-3
Rep. Robert ThomasD-GA-1
Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-1
Rep. John SprattD-SC-5
Rep. Norman SisiskyD-VA-4
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. Tim JohnsonD-SD-1
Rep. Jim ChapmanD-TX-1
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-2
Rep. James RowlandD-GA-8
Rep. James HayesD-LA-7
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
Rep. Thomas CarperD-DE
Rep. Ed JenkinsD-GA-9
Rep. Buddy DardenD-GA-7
Rep. Martin LancasterD-NC-3
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. Michael AndrewsD-TX-25
Rep. James OlinD-VA-6
Rep. William LipinskiD-IL-5
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-11
Rep. Royden DysonD-MD-1
Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
Rep. Ike SkeltonD-MO-4
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. James SlatteryD-KS-2
Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
Rep. Tim ValentineD-NC-2
Rep. Richard StallingsD-ID-2
Rep. Elizabeth PattersonD-SC-4
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-23
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
Rep. Robin TallonD-SC-6
Rep. Timothy PennyD-MN-1
Rep. Ben ErdreichD-AL-6
Rep. Carroll HubbardD-KY-1
Rep. Claude HarrisD-AL-7
Rep. William NicholsD-AL-3
Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
Rep. Thomas HuckabyD-LA-5
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
Rep. Tommy RobinsonD-AR-2
Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
Rep. Billy TauzinD-LA-3
Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
Rep. James LeathD-TX-11
Rep. Ralph HallD-TX-4

Republicans who voted yea(104)

Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Constance MorellaR-MD-8
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-15
Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-29
Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-22
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-21
Rep. Christopher ShaysR-CT-4
Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-7
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. Sherry BoehlertR-NY-25
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
Rep. Nancy JohnsonR-CT-6
Rep. John MillerR-WA-1
Rep. Patricia SaikiR-HI-1
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. Carl PursellR-MI-2
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-5
Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Arthur RavenelR-SC-1
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. John RowlandR-CT-5
Rep. Amo HoughtonR-NY-34
Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
Rep. David MartinR-NY-26
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. Don YoungR-AK
Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. John MyersR-IN-7
Rep. Jan MeyersR-KS-3
Rep. George WortleyR-NY-27
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-2
Rep. Jim SaxtonR-NJ-13
Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. Dean GalloR-NJ-11
Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
Rep. Frederick GrandyR-IA-6
Rep. Herbert BatemanR-VA-1
Rep. James CourterR-NJ-12
Rep. William GoodlingR-PA-19
Rep. Donald RitterR-PA-15
Rep. Rodney ChandlerR-WA-8
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-18
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Helen BentleyR-MD-2
Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
Rep. Paul HenryR-MI-5
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. Alex McMillanR-NC-9
Rep. John KasichR-OH-12
Rep. Daniel CoatsR-IN-4
Rep. Gene TaylorR-MO-7
Rep. Guy Vander JagtR-MI-9
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Harris FawellR-IL-13
Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
Rep. Edward MadiganR-IL-15
Rep. Clay ShawR-FL-15
Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Rep. W. Bill YoungR-FL-8
Rep. Robert WhittakerR-KS-5
Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
Rep. Mike DeWineR-OH-7
Rep. Jack BuechnerR-MO-2
Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
Rep. Daniel SlaughterR-VA-7
Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
Rep. Fred UptonR-MI-4
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-35
Rep. Robert SmithR-OR-2
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. Ernest KonnyuR-CA-12
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. Mac SweeneyR-TX-14
Rep. John HilerR-IN-3
Rep. James LightfootR-IA-5
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
Rep. John RhodesR-AZ-1
Rep. Michael BilirakisR-FL-9
Rep. Delbert LattaR-OH-5
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. Hal DaubR-NE-2
Rep. Andy IrelandR-FL-10
Rep. Cass BallengerR-NC-10
Rep. Clyde HollowayR-LA-8
Rep. Barbara VucanovichR-NV-2
Rep. Judd GreggR-NH-2
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. Connie MackR-FL-13
Rep. Howard NielsonR-UT-3
Rep. Joe BartonR-TX-6
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-45
Rep. Jon KylR-AZ-4
Rep. Phil CraneR-IL-12

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 540 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

Report a correction

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee
Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Oceanography Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks 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.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 26 actions.

Apr 28, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-298.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Apr 19, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Apr 13, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House by Yea-Nay Vote: 340 - 64 (Record Vote No: 54).House roll call 54
FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
Mar 29, 1988FloorFloor · Failed to Receive 2/3's Vote to Suspend and Pass by Yea-Nay Vote: 263 - 139 (Record Vote No: 46).House roll call 46
FloorFloor · Failed of passage/not agreed to in House: Failed to Receive 2/3's Vote to Suspend and Pass by Yea-Nay Vote: 263 - 139 (Record Vote No: 46).House roll call 46
Mar 28, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
Mar 23, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Oceanography Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
Mar 14, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
Feb 24, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
Feb 18, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Markup by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
Feb 4, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
Jan 26, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
Jan 7, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Oceanography Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
Dec 20, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
Dec 19, 1987FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
Dec 9, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Dec 2, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Sep 29, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Mar 26, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate

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.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.