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To improve navigational safety and to reduce the hazards to navigation resulting from vessel collisions with pipelines in the marine environment, and for other purposes.

Public Law 101-599 · H.R. 4888 · 101st Congress · began in the House

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Nov 16, 1990 · Transportation and Public Works

Sponsor: Rep. Billy Tauzin (D-LA-3)

Cosponsors (7): Rep. Walter Jones,

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.

Amends the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 and the Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1979 to require an inspection, within 18 months of enactment of this Act, of certain offshore pipeline facilities in the Gulf of Mexico and its inlets and a report to the Secretary of Transportation on any such facility which is exposed or a hazard to navigation. Directs the Secretary to establish a program to require operators of such facilities to report potential or existing pipeline facility navigational hazards through Coast Guard offices. Requires marking of the hazards with approved marine buoys.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a mandatory, systematic, and where appropriate, periodic inspection program in the Gulf and its inlets; and (2) require burial of exposed or hazardous facilities.

Amends the Ports and Waterways Safety Act to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program to encourage fishermen and other vessel operators to report potential or existing navigational hazards involving pipelines through Coast Guard offices.

Committees

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

  • Energy and Commerce Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Energy Subcommittee
  • Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Coast Guard and Navigation Subcommittee
  • Transportation and Infrastructure Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee; Surface Transportation 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. 31 actions.

  1. Nov 16, 1990Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 101-599.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 9, 1990PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 27, 1990FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Oct 15, 1990FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  7. FloorFloor · On ordering a second Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · Mr. Davis demanded a second on the motion to suspend the rules.
  9. FloorFloor · Mr. Tauzin moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  10. Oct 10, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  12. Oct 6, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  13. Oct 5, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  14. Sep 27, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  16. Sep 25, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Energy and Commerce Committee
  17. Sep 13, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  20. Sep 11, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  22. Jul 30, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Coast Guard and Navigation Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  23. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Coast Guard and Navigation Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  24. Jun 6, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Coast Guard and Navigation Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  25. Jun 5, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  26. Jun 4, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  27. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  28. May 23, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
  29. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  30. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
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.