National Transportation Safety Board Amendments of 1996
Public Law 104-291 · H.R. 3159 · 104th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 11, 1996 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA-9)
Cosponsors (6): Rep. James Oberstar, Rep. Jimmy Duncan,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Title I: NTSB Amendments
Title II: Intermodal Transportation
Title I: NTSB Amendments - National Transportation Safety Board Amendments of 1996 - Amends Federal transportation law to prohibit the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and any agency receiving information from it from disclosing: (1) records or information relating to its participation in foreign aircraft accident investigations, except in certain circumstances; or (2) voluntarily provided safety-related information unrelated to the exercise of the NTSB's accident or incident investigation authority, if disclosure would inhibit the voluntary provision of that type of information.
(Sec. 104) Authorizes the NTSB to conduct training of its employees in subjects necessary for the proper performance of accident investigations.
(Sec. 105) Authorizes appropriations to the Board through FY 1999.
Title II: Intermodal Transportation - Intermodal Safe Container Transportation Amendments Act of 1996 - Amends Federal transportation law to revise the prior notification requirements for intermodal freight transportation. Requires a person who tenders to a first carrier that is a motor carrier (currently, any carrier) a container or trailer with a gross cargo weight of more than 29,000 pounds (currently, 10,000 pounds, including packing material and pallets) for intermodal transportation to give prior notification of the cargo weight and a reasonable description of its contents to the motor carrier.
(Sec. 204) Allows such notification to be made by telephone, and allows the required certification of container or trailer contents to be electronic. Sets forth administrative and civil penalties for persons who inaccurately transfer certification information.
(Sec. 205) Allows a motor carrier to presume that the gross cargo weight of a container or trailer is under 29,001 pounds if it receives no certification before or when a loaded intermodal container or trailer is tendered to it. Declares that a copy of a certification is not required to accompany the intermodal container or trailer.
Requires a motor carrier that knows that the gross cargo weight of an intermodal container or trailer violates State vehicle weight laws to give notice to the operator of a leased vehicle that transports such items. Requires the motor carrier to reimburse the operator of the leased vehicle that is fined because of a violation of a State's gross vehicle weight laws.
(Sec. 206) Adds to the circumstances giving certain persons a lien against the contents of the container or trailer as a result of a violation of a State's gross vehicle weight laws. Includes among such circumstances: (1) failure of the party required to provide certification of gross cargo weight to the first carrier to provide it; (2) failure of the party required to forward such certification to forward it; or (3) error in the transfer of information on the certification to another document.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Aviation 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.
- Oct 11, 1996Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-291.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 3, 1996PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 26, 1996Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Shuster moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
- FloorFloor · Pursuant to the provisions of H. Con. Res. 221, enrollment corrections have been made.
- Sep 18, 1996FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 1831 with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jul 22, 1996FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays (2/3 required): 400 - 0 (Roll No. 337).House roll call 337
- FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 5, rule I, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Duncan moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 18, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- May 9, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Mar 27, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Mar 26, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.