Deepwater Port Act of 1974
Public Law 93-627 · H.R. 10701 · 93rd Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Jan 3, 1975 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Rep. John Breaux (D-LA-7)
Cosponsors (19): Rep. Robert Jones, Rep. James Wright,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
Deepwater Port Act - Provides that no person may engage in the ownership, construction, or operation of a deepwater port except in accordance with a license issued pursuant to this Act. Prohibits the transportation or transfer of any oil between a deepwater port and the United States unless such port is licensed under this Act.
Prohibits use of such ports for the shipment of commodities to the United States.
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to issue, amend, transfer, or renew licenses for the ownership, construction, and operation of deepwater ports.
Allows such licenses to be effective for 20 years, with a preferential renewal right for 10 more years.
Sets forth prerequisites, conditions, application procedures, regulations, and criteria for the issuance of licenses for deepwater ports. States that such ports must not adversely effect competition.
Requires public notice and hearings before licenses are issued.
Allows adjacent States to set reasonable fees for use of deepwater ports.
Requires licensees under this Act to accept, transport, and convey without discrimination all oil delivered to the deepwater port with respect to which the license is issued.
Sets forth criteria for determining what is an adjacent State.
Prohibits issuance of a license unless the adjacent State, to which the port is to be connected by pipeline, has developed, or is making reasonable progress toward developing an approved coastal zone management program purusant to the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972.
Requires the Secretary to issue regulations governing the environmental and navigational effect of such ports.
Permits the Secretary to suspend or revoke licenses for noncompliance with this Act.
Requires that communications and documents transferred between Federal officials and any person concerning such ports be available to the public.
Establishes a $25,000 per-day fine or one year imprisonment, or both, for violations of this Act.
Allows civil actions for equitable relief for violations of this Act by Federal officials.
Prohibits, and establishes penalties for, the discharge of oil into the marine environment from a vessel within a deepwater port safety zone or from a deepwater port.
Holds vessel owners and operators liable up to $20,000,000 and port licensees liable up to $50,000,000 for discharges. Establishes the Deepwater Port Liability Fund, which shall be liable, without regard to fault, for discharge cleanup costs. Requires licensees to collect two cents per barrel from oil owners to be put into such Fund.
Allows the Attorney General to act on behalf of any group of citizens he determines would be more adequately represented as a class in a recovery of claims under this Act.
Delcares that the laws of the United States and of the nearest adjacent State shall apply to such ports.
Requires the Secretary to issue regulations to assure the safe construction and operation of pipelines on the Outer Continental Shelf.
Authorizes appropriations for the administration of this Act.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 25 actions.
- Jan 3, 1975Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-627.
- Dec 24, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 17, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 93-1360.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 93-1360.
- Dec 16, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1605.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1605.
- Dec 2, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Nov 26, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- Oct 9, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 4076.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jun 11, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jun 10, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jun 6, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #282 (318-9).House roll call 282
- Nov 28, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Oct 3, 1973CommitteeCommittee · 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.