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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2020

Public Law 116-259 · S. 2981 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 23, 2020 · Science, Technology, Communications

Sponsor: Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK)

Cosponsors (2): Sen. Brian Schatz,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 265 yea, 124 nay265–124
  • 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.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2020

This bill revises provisions related to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps.

Among other provisions, the bill sets forth new requirements for the corps concerning

• commissioned grades and operational strength numbers,

• obligated service requirements,

• training and physical fitness,

• education loan assistance,

• recruitment,

• hiring and promotions,

• separation and retirement,

• sexual harassment and assault prevention, and

• other workforce issues.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 116th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 265 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

265 yea124 nay41 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(227)

Republicans who voted yea(38)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 932 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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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

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 2406Related bill

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2019

  • S. 2910Related bill

    A bill to establish aviation accession training programs for the Commissioned Officer Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to prepare students for commissioned service as pilots in the Corps, and…

  • S. 3930Related bill

    Maritime Administration Authorization and Improvement Act

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. 21 actions.

  1. Dec 23, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-259.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 11, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 4, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 265 - 124 (Roll no. 233).House roll call 233
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. Dec 3, 2020FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2981.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Case moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Nov 17, 2020FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  13. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  14. Nov 16, 2020FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  15. FloorFloor · The committee amendment withdrawn by Unanimous Consent. (CR S6712)
  16. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  17. Sep 30, 2020CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 561.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment. With written report No. 116-273.
  19. Dec 11, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  20. Dec 4, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  21. 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

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 2683SenateSen. Dan SullivanR-AK· offered Nov 16, 2020Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Nov 16, 2020: Amendment SA 2683 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
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.