Continental Scientific Drilling and Exploration Act
Public Law 100-441 · S. 52 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 22, 1988 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD)
Cosponsors (12): Sen. Spark Matsunaga, Sen. Daniel Moynihan,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
(Senate agreed to House amendments with an amendment)
Continental Scientific Drilling and Exploration Act - Directs the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of the Interior, through the United States Geological Survey, and the Director of the National Science Foundation to implement the policies of the proposed Continental Scientific Drilling Program of the United States relating to earth science research and technological development. Prescribes guidelines for such implementation, including: (1) taking action to assure an effective cooperative effort in furtherance of the Program; (2) taking administrative and financial measures to assure the effective functioning of the Interagency Accord on Continental Scientific Drilling; (3) assuring the continuing operation of the Interagency Coordinating Group; and (4) assuring that the Interagency Coordinating Group receives appropriate Federal agency cooperation. Requires a report to the Congress within 180 days of enactment describing: (1) policy objectives; (2) projected schedules of scientific and engineering events that would advance Program objectives; (3) resources and funding levels for FY 1989 that would be required by each participating Federal agency to implement projected schedules of events and Program policy objectives; and (4) cooperation with the international community.
Requires the Interagency Coordinating Group to submit annually a report describing the resources and funding levels needed for the next fiscal year (beginning one year after submission of the policy objectives report).
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Mining and Natural Resources Subcommittee- Science, Space, and Technology Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Science, Research and Technology Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Energy Production and Regulation 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. 20 actions.
- Sep 22, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-441.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 13, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 9, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 10, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the House amendments with an amendment. By Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- May 23, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Jul 13, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Mining and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 7, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Science, Research and Technology Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Jun 22, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Jun 17, 1987FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 11, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 3, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jan 6, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Energy Production and Regulation 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.