Gasohol Competition Act of 1980
Public Law 96-493 · S. 2251 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 2, 1980 · Energy
Sponsor: Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D-OH)
Cosponsors (28): Sen. Fritz Hollings, Sen. Birch Bayh,
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.
Gasohol Competition Act of 1980 - Amends the Clayton Act to prohibit any person engaged in commerce from placing restrictions on the use of credit instruments in any transaction concerning the sale, resale, or transfer of gasohol or other synthetic motor fuel of equivalent usability where there are no similar restrictions on transactions concerning conventional motor fuel. Allows such person to impose a credit fee for such sale or transfer, provided such fee does not exceed the actual costs of extending the credit.
Prohibits any other condition, restriction, agreement, or understanding wich otherwise discriminates against or unreasonably limits the sale, resale, or transfer of gasohol or other synthetic motor fuel of equivalent usability.
Exempts from such prohibition any person who makes sufficient supplies of gasohol and such synthetic fuels available to customers on the equivalent terms and conditions as such person's conventional motor fuel products.
Provides that nothing in this Act: (1) precludes such person from requiring labeling of pumps dispensing gasohol or synthetic fuel to indicate that such fuels are not manufactured, distributed, or sold by such person; (2) precludes such person from issuing disclaimers of product liability for damage resulting from the use of such fuels; (3) requires such person to provide advertising for such fuels; or (4) requires such person to furnish additional; pumps or facilities for the sale of such fuels.
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. 13 actions.
- Dec 2, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-493.
- Nov 21, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Nov 19, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Nov 17, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 7873.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Jul 25, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Jun 23, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Jun 20, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Feb 4, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Finance 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.