A bill to authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal years 1980 and 1981, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-23 · S. 709 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jun 13, 1979 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. Howard Cannon (D-NV)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Authorizes appropriations in specified amounts for the following necessary expenses of the Coast Guard for fiscal year 1980: (1) the operation and maintenance of the Coast Guard; (2) the acquisition, construction, rebuilding, and improvement of aids to navigation, shore facilities, vessels, and aircraft; (3) the alteration or removal of bridges over navigable waters of the United States which obstruct navigation; and (4) research, development, test, and evaluation.
Sets forth the authorized end strength for Coast Guard personnel for fiscal year 1980.
Sets forth the average military student training loads for the Guard for such fiscal year.
Increases the number of commissioned officers in the Guard, excluding warrant officers, who may be on active duty from 5,000 to 6,000.
Increases the basic compensation payable to civilian keepers of lighthouses and civilians employed on lightships and other Coast Guard vessels from $7,500 per annum to $15,000 per annum. Authorizes the issuance of retroactive pay to civilian lighthouse keepers in an amount equal to the difference between what the keeper actually received and what he or she would have received under the General Schedule salary rates had there not been a $7,500 limitation on the individual's salary.
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. 11 actions.
- Jun 13, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-23.
- Jun 4, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- May 31, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, in lieu of H.R. 2295.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- May 17, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 11, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Mar 21, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
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.