A bill to authorize appropriations to carry out the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 during fiscal years 1980, 1981, and 1982, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-61 · S. 917 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Aug 15, 1979 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. Warren Magnuson (D-WA)
Cosponsors (5): Sen. Scoop Jackson, Sen. Ted Stevens,
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 amendment with an amendment)
Amends the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 to authorize appropriations of $33,000,000 for fiscal year 1980, $40,000,000 for fiscal year 1981, and $47,000,000 for fiscal year 1982, to carry out the purposes of such Act.
Defines "fisheries" to include the cultivation, taking, or harvesting of fish, and marine animals or vegetation within the U.S. fishery conservation zone, for the purpose of regulating foreign fishing.
Defines "certification" as a determination made by the Secretary of Commerce that foreign vessels are conducting fishing operations or engaging in trade or taking which diminishes the effectiveness of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling for the purpose of reducing a nation's allocation of the total allowable level of foreign fishing within the U.S. fishery conservation zone. Requires the Secretary of State to reduce the allocation of a nation so certified by not less than 50 percent.
Requires the Secretary of State to reallocate the unharvested portion of a certified nation's allocation among other foreign nations, if the Secretary of Commerce notifies him that it is not likely the certification of such nation will be terminated before the end of the allocation period or one year (which ever first occurs).
Amends the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 to direct the Secretary of Commerce or the Interior to monitor and investigate the activities of foreign nations that may affect any international fisheries conservation program and to promptly reach a decision with respect to any such investigation.
Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to document the vessel Widow Maker as a vessel of the United States for the purpose of engaging in the coastwise trade and the fisheries 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
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.
- Aug 15, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-61.
- Aug 3, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Aug 2, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Aug 1, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment with an amendment.
- Jun 25, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 1798.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- May 1, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Apr 30, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Apr 23, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Apr 9, 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.