An act to authorize the documentation of certain vessels as vessels of the United States, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-387 · S. 1442 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 7, 1980 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-OR)
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.
(Senate agreed to House amendments with an amendment)
Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to document the vessels Sara, Aurelia Four, Alice, Albatross, Hillbilly I, and Kailua as vessels with the privileges of engaging in coastwise trade, so long as each such vessel is owned by a citizen of the United States. Directs that the vessel Sara be granted such privileges only so long as it is owned by a citizen of the United States and is operated for a nonprofit purpose.
Amends the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to procure and install national defense features on specified United States merchant ships.
Directs the Secretary to submit the plans and specifications for such national defense features to the Navy Department for approval. Requires the Secretary of the Navy to certify approval of such plans to the Secretary of commerce.
Grants to vessels engaged in the coastwise transportation of domestic coal from one United States port to another, priority to load at such ports before vessels engaged in exporting coal. Authorizes the Secretary to eliminate such priority loading and to report such action to Congress within 30 days.
Allows the vessel Scuba King to be documented to engage in the fisheries and coastwise trade so long as it is owned by a citizen of the United States.
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. 15 actions.
- Oct 7, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-387.
- Sep 25, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Sep 22, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Sep 19, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment with an amendment.
- Aug 26, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Aug 8, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Dec 19, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Dec 18, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Dec 11, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jun 27, 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.