A bill to amend the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971.
Public Law 94-531 · H.R. 13585 · 94th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Oct 17, 1976 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-NY-10)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Leonor Sullivan, Rep. Pierre du Pont
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.
Amends the Federal Boat Safety Act to declare that until there is a final judicial determination that certain waters in the State of New Hampshire are "navigable waters of the United States," they are declared not to be waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
Provides that a manufacturer's duty to notify buyers of defects in a boat or associated equipment shall be limited to defects or failures of compliance discovered within five years from the date of certification or, in the absence of a certification date, within five years of the date of manufacture.
Authorizes the Secretary to establish procedures to be followed by dealers and distributors in assisting manufacturers in obtaining information on defects for failures of compliance by boats or associated equipment.
Requires that fees charged by States in connection with vessel numbering shall apply equally to residents and nonresidents of a State.
Provides that Federal funds allocated to a State in any fiscal year may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of that State's boating safety program for that year.
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.
- Oct 17, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-531.
- Oct 6, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Oct 5, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Oct 1, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Sep 30, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Sep 22, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Sep 20, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #757 (371-12).House roll call 757
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Sep 16, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- May 6, 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.