National Aquaculture Act of 1979
Public Law 96-362 · S. 1650 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Sep 26, 1980 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Cosponsors (13): Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, Sen. Howard Cannon,
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.
National Aquaculture Act of 1980 - Directs the Secretaries of Commerce, the Interior, and Agriculture, after consultation with certain Federal and State officials, Regional Fishery Management Councils, and representatives of the aquaculture industry, to establish a National Aquaculture Development Plan. Permits the Secretaries to create an advisory committee to assist in the development of such plan. Requires that such plan: (1) identify aquatic species that have potential for culturing on a commercial or other basis; (2) recommend actions to achieve that potential; (3) include research programs on the effects of aquaculture on water areas; and (4) specify which Secretaries are responsible for certain actions to implement the plan. Directs the Secretaries to: (1) review the plan periodically and revise it as necessary; and (2) undertake a continuing assessment of aquaculture in the United States.
Requires the Secretaries to: (1) provide assistance with respect to aquaculture to interested persons; (2) encourage the implementation of aquaculture technology in the rehabilitation of fish stocks; (3) establish an information service on aquaculture; (4) collect and protect confidential information on public and private aquaculture activities; (5) determine whether existing capture fisheries could be adversely affected by competition from commercial aquaculture enterprises; and (6) report to Congress, biennially, on the status of aquaculture in the United States.
Establishes within the Office of Science and Technology Policy an interagency aquaculture coordinating group to operate as a Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture of the Federal Coordinating Council on Science, Engineering, and Technology. Directs the group to assess national needs for aquaculture research and assistance, coordinate aquaculture programs of Federal agencies, and recommend actions on aquaculture issues to the Federal Council.
Authorizes the Secretaries to carry out their functions under the Plan through grants or contracts. Limits the amount of any grant to one-half of the estimated cost of the associated project.
Directs the Secretaries: (1) through the coordinating group, to conduct and submit to Congress studies on the capital requirements of and State and Federal regulatory constraints on the U.S. aquaculture industry; and (2) to formulate and submit to Congress plans recommending Federal actions and legislation necessary to meet such requirements and to remove unnecessarily burdensome regulatory constraints.
Authorizes appropriations for the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior for fiscal years 1981 through 1983 to carry out the provisions 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. 14 actions.
- Sep 26, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-362.
- Sep 16, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 11, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- Sep 8, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 20.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Apr 30, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Apr 23, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Aug 2, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · 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.