A bill to provide for a uniform national three-year statute of limitations in actions to recover damages for personal injury or death, arising out of a maritime tort, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-382 · H.R. 3748 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 6, 1980 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Rep. John Murphy (D-NY-17)
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.
Sets a three-year statute of limitations in actions for recovery of damages for personal injury or death arising out of a maritime tort.
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. 13 actions.
- Oct 6, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-382.
- Sep 25, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Sep 24, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 23, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Sep 22, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Feb 18, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Feb 11, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Jan 28, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Apr 25, 1979CommitteeCommittee · 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.