To authorize the Secretary of Commerce to make available to the University of Miami property under the administrative jurisdiction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Virginia Key, Florida, for use by the University for a Marine Life Science Center.
Public Law 108-485 · H.R. 4027 · 108th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 23, 2004 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-18)
Cosponsors (3): Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Rep. Kendrick Meek,
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.
Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make available to the University of Miami real property under the administrative jurisdiction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Virginia Key, Florida, for development by the University for a Marine Life Science Center. Allows the Secretary to make that property available by easement, lease, license, or long-term agreement with the University.
Authorizes the use of the property to develop and operate facilities for multidisciplinary environmental and fisheries research, assessment, management, and educational activities. Prohibits the property from being used by the University (including any affiliate of the University) except in accordance with an agreement with the Secretary as described in this Act. Terminates the availability of such property immediately upon use of it by the University for any other purpose or in violation of the agreement.
Authorizes the Secretary to enter into an agreement to occupy facilities constructed by the University on such property, and to participate with the University in collaborative research at, or administered through, such facilities.
Prohibits this Act from being construed to convey or authorize conveyance of any interest of the United States in title to property made available under this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Oversight and Investigations 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.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.
- Dec 23, 2004Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-485.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 16, 2004FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 9, 2004FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 8, 2004FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 14, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sep 13, 2004FloorFloor · 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 voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4027.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Radanovich moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Sep 8, 2004CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 405.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Resources. H. Rept. 108-665.
- Jul 14, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jun 3, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- May 13, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Hearings Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 26, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Executive Comment Requested from Commerce.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
- Mar 24, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.