InsideGov
Congress · Laws

To authorize the transfer of naval vessels to certain foreign countries.

Public Law 103-378 · H.R. 5155 · 103rd Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 19, 1994 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN-9)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Benjamin Gilman

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.

Report a correction

Summary

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

Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to transfer to: (1) Argentina the tank landing ship Schenectady; (2) Chile the tank landing ships Newport and San Bernardino; (3) Malaysia the tank landing ship Spartanburg County; (4) Spain the tank landing ship Harlan County; (5) Taiwan the tank landing ships Manitowoc and Sumter; and (6) Venezuela the tank landing ships Peoria and Barbour County. Waives certain congressional notification requirements with respect to such transfers. Requires recipients to bear transfer costs.

Expresses the sense of the Congress that the Secretary should request that each country receiving a vessel under this Act have any needed vessel repair or refurbishment performed at shipyards located in the United States, including U.S. Navy shipyards.

Provides transfer conditions.

Committees

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

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. 11 actions.

  1. Oct 19, 1994Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 103-378.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 14, 1994PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 7, 1994FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Oct 5, 1994FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  7. Oct 4, 1994FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Walker objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed until Oct. 5. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
  8. FloorFloor · Mr. Andrews (NJ) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  9. Oct 3, 1994CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
  10. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Foreign Affairs Committee
  11. 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.

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.