Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1982
Public Law 97-136 · S. 831 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 29, 1981 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. Robert Packwood (R-OR)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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)
Authorizes appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal year 1982 for: (1) operation and maintenance expenses; (2) acquisition, construction, rebuilding, and improvement of aids in navigation, shore facilities, vessels, and aircraft; (3) the alteration or removal of bridges over navigable waters; and (4) research, development, testing, and evaluation. Requires the prior approval of the appropriate committees of Congress before research and development plans can be implemented. Permits the Coast Guard an end-year strength of 42,224 active duty personnel and 5,484 civilian personnel. Authorizes average military training student loads.
Increases the authorization of appropriations for the operation and maintenance of the Coast Guard for fiscal year 1981. Increases the end-year strength of active duty personnel for fiscal year 1981 from 39,600 to 39,819. Excludes specified reserve officers on active duty from the active duty promotion list. Makes the rear admiral designated by the Commandant to the position of Chief of Staff the senior rear admiral for all purposes other than pay.
Eliminates a reservist's exemption from registration and liability for military training and service under other law. Permits the Commandant of the Coast Guard to authorize the installation and use of telephones in residences leased or owned by the Government of the United States to assure efficient response to extraordinary operational contingencies.
Modifies the formula for computing the amount of disability or death benefits for members of the Coast Guard.
Permits the delegation of vessel inspection review and approval to the American Bureau of Shipping or a similar American classification society. Directs the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to report annually to Congress on the implementation of such delegation.
Amends the Vessel Documentation Act to expand eligibility for vessel documentation to vessels owned by an association, trust, or other entity capable of holding title to a vessel under the law of the United States or any State, territory, or possession thereof, or the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, all of the members of which are citizens of the United States. Includes partnerships controlled by U.S. citizens.
Authorizes the Coast Guard to place orders for materials, supplies, equipment, work, or services of any kind that any requisitioned Federal agency may be in a position to supply or obtain.
Prohibits the use of funds to remove facilities of Coast Guard Group Port Angeles from Ediz Hook.
Expresses the thanks of Congress to the members of the Coast Guard and others who participated in the rescue of the passengers aboard the motor vessel Prinsendam.
Directs the Coast Guard to deploy at least one helicopter for search and rescue at each of specified stations.
Requires the Coast Guard Station at Rogue River in Oregon to remain open until at least October 31 of each year.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee · Senate · hearings by (full committee), markup by, 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. 12 actions.
- Dec 29, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-136.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 22, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 16, 1981Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in House amendments with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Dec 14, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- May 4, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Apr 23, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Apr 7, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Apr 2, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Mar 31, 1981CommitteeCommittee · 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.