Negotiated Shipbuilding Contracting Act of 1976
Public Law 94-372 · H.R. 11504 · 94th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Jul 31, 1976 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Rep. Leonor Sullivan (D-MO-3)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Thomas Downing, Rep. Philip Ruppe
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.
(Measure passed Senate, amended (Text of S. 3171 inserted as passed Senate))
Negotiated Shipbuilding Contracting Act - Extends from June 30, 1976, to June 30, 1979, the authority of the Secretary of Commerce to award subsidies for the construction of vessels with respect to which the price has been established by negotiation between the prospective purchaser and the shipyard. Provides that the construction differential approved and paid by the Secretary shall not exceed 50 percent of the cost of constructing, reconstructing, or reconditioning the vessel, and that if such differential exceeds such percentage the Secretary may negotiate with any bidder and contract with such bidder for such work on the vessel in a domestic shipyard at a cost which will reduce the construction differential to such percentage or less.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · referred to, reported by
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. 14 actions.
- Jul 31, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-372.
- Jul 22, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Jul 21, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jul 19, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment.
- Jul 1, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended (Text of S. 3171 inserted as passed Senate).
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Mar 16, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Mar 15, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Mar 2, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jan 26, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries 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.