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National Maritime Heritage Act of 1994

Public Law 103-451 · H.R. 3059 · 103rd Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 2, 1994 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Andrews (D-ME-1)

Cosponsors (25): Rep. James Oberstar,

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.

National Maritime Heritage Act of 1994 - Declares that it shall be the policy of the Federal Government, in partnership with State and local governments and private organizations and individuals, to support and encourage Federal, State, and local governmental and private conservation of historic maritime resources.

(Sec. 4) Establishes in the Department of the Interior the National Maritime Heritage Grants Program to foster a greater awareness and appreciation of the role of maritime endeavors in history and culture. Provides for a matching grants-in-aid: (1) to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for subgrants to State and local governments and private nonprofit organizations for Maritime Heritage Education Projects; and (2) to State historic preservation offices, via the National Maritime Initiative of the National Park Service, for Maritime Heritage Preservation Projects. Specifies particular uses of such grants and subgrants, as well as grant eligibility criteria.

Authorizes grants for specified interim projects in California, Virginia, and Michigan.

(Sec. 5) Establishes a National Maritime Heritage Grants Advisory Committee to review grant and subgrant proposals and make funding recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior.

(Sec. 6) Allocates specified percentages of funds attributed to the sale and scrapping of obsolete vessels for: (1) maintenance of the National Defense Reserve Fleet; (2) facility and training ship maintenance for State maritime academies or the United States Merchant Marine Academy; and (3) the grants created by this Act.

(Sec. 10) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to convey the vessel S/S American Victory, or a vessel of comparable size and class, to the Battle of the Atlantic Historical Society, subject to certain conditions, including use as a Merchant Marine memorial.

(Sec. 11) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to convey a vessel of the National Defense Reserve Fleet that is scheduled to be scrapped to the City of Warsaw, Kentucky, without consideration but subject to certain conditions, for the promotion of economic development and tourism.

(Sec. 12) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to convey, without consideration but subject to certain conditions, the vessels L.S.T. Tioga County, R. V. Lynch, and L.S.T. Lorraine County to the nonprofit corporation Assistance International, Inc. for use in emergencies, vocational training, and economic development programs.

(Sec. 13) Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to convey the vessel USS Sphinx (ARL-23) to the Rio Grande Military Museum, subject to certain conditions, for use as a nonprofit military museum.

Committees

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

  • Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · markup by, referred toSubcommittee: Merchant Marine 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. 15 actions.

  1. Nov 2, 1994Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 103-451.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 24, 1994PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 8, 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, as amended 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 · Mrs. Unsoeld moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  9. Sep 21, 1994CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  10. Jun 23, 1994CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  12. Sep 29, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  13. Sep 16, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  14. Sep 14, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  15. 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.