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CENOTE Act of 2018

Public Law 115-394 · S. 2511 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 21, 2018 · Transportation and Public Works

Sponsor: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. Brian Schatz

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.

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Summary

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

Commercial Engagement Through Ocean Technology Act of 2018 or the CENOTE Act of 2018

(Sec.3)This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)to direct the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)and the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO)to coordinate the assessment and acquisition of unmanned maritime systems.

NOAA must coordinate with the Department of the Navy to leverage expertise in the development and operational transition of unmanned maritime systems. It may also coordinate with other federal agencies, the academic sector, and the private sector to maximize research opportunities and to support commercialization of unmanned maritime systems.

(Sec.4)The OAR and OMAO must regularly assess publicly and commercially available unmanned maritime systems for potential use to support the missions of NOAA.

(Sec.5)NOAA must coordinate and centralize its acquisition of unmanned maritime systems to meet the prioritized list of data requirements identified by the OAR and OMAO.

(Sec.6)NOAA must submit to Congress a report on the usage of unmanned maritime systems for its mission.

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.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.

  1. Dec 21, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-394.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 20, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 18, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Dec 17, 2018Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 2511 by Unanimous Consent.
  6. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 2511 by Unanimous Consent.
  7. Dec 11, 2018FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
  8. Dec 10, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  10. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2511.
  11. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  12. FloorFloor · Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  13. Sep 5, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans.
  14. Aug 28, 2018FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction o…
  16. Aug 27, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  17. Aug 23, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  18. Jul 9, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 504.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-291.
  20. Apr 25, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  21. Mar 7, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  22. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
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.

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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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.