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A bill to approve the governing international fishery agreement between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Public Law 100-629 · H.R. 4919 · 100th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 7, 1988 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Gerry Studds (D-MA-10)

Cosponsors (3): Rep. Don Young,

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.

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Summary

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

(House disagreed to Senate amendment under suspension of the rules, roll call #404 (412-5))

Approves, notwithstanding any provision of the Magnuson Fishery and Conservation and Management Act, the governing international fishery agreement (GIFA) entered into between the United States and the Soviet Union, as contained in the presidential message to the Congress on June 22, 1988.

Authorizes appropriations for the development of a Marine Biomedical Institute for Advanced Studies, to be located at Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Amends the Great Lakes Shoreline Mapping Act of 1987 to authorize appropriations for FY 1989 for preparation of a Great Lakes shoreline mapping plan.

Amends the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act to make it illegal for any fishing vessel other than a vessel of the United States to operate in the Exclusive Economic Zone if all fishing gear is not stored (or secured and covered) so as to make it unavailable or unusable for fishing, unless the vessel is authorized to engage in fishing in the area in which it is operating.

Directs the Secretary of State to establish an advisory body on the fisheries of the North Pacific and the Bering Sea to advise the U.S. representative to the International Consultative Committee created under the GIFA. Exempts the body from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

Directs the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, as appropriate, to exercise their authority under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act to require the use of position-fixing and identification equipment on any vessel other than a vessel of the United States engaged in fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Directs those Secretaries to report to specified committees of the Congress regarding their compliance.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation to transfer the decommissioned Coast Guard cutter "Glacier" to the State of Oregon for use as a maritime museum and display.

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: Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment 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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Nov 7, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-629.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 27, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 21, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate receded from its amendment. By Voice Vote.
  5. Oct 4, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Yea-Nay Vote: 412 - 5 (Record Vote No: 404).House roll call 404
  6. FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and held at desk:. House disagrees to Senate amendment.
  7. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Yea-Nay Vote: 412 - 5 (Record Vote No: 404).House roll call 404
  8. Oct 1, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  9. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  10. Sep 26, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  11. Sep 23, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  12. Sep 15, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  13. Sep 14, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  15. Jun 30, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  17. Jun 27, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  18. 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.

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Official record

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