Soft Drink Interbrand Competition Act
Public Law 96-308 · S. 598 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jul 9, 1980 · Commerce
Sponsor: Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN)
Cosponsors (78): Sen. Thad Cochran, Sen. William Armstrong,
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.
Soft Drink Interbrand Competition Act - Declares that exclusive territorial arrangements made as a part of a licensing agreement for the manufacture, distribution, or sale of a trademarked soft drink product are lawful under the antitrust laws provided such product is in substantial and effective competition with other products for the same general class in the relevant market or markets.
Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to legalize any unlawful means of price fixing agreements, horizontal restraints of trade, or group boycotts in any effort to enforce provisions of such Act.
Makes provisions of the Clayton Act authorizing suspension of the statute of limitations in antitrust proceedings inapplicable to such pending litigation concerned with enforcement of provisions of this Act.
Provides that, as used in this Act, "antitrust law" means the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, and the Federal Trade Commission 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. 15 actions.
- Jul 9, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-308.
- Jun 30, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jun 28, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- Jun 24, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 3567.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
- May 19, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- May 15, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, roll call #147 (89-3).Senate roll call 147
- FloorFloor · Cloture motion passed Senate, roll call #143 (86-6).Senate roll call 143
- May 12, 1980FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Mar 26, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Mar 8, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary 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.