A bill to improve the operation of the Fishermen's Contingency Fund established to compensate commercial fishermen for damages resulting from oil and gas exploration, development, and production in areas of the Outer Continental Shelf.
Public Law 97-212 · H.R. 3816 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jun 30, 1982 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. John Breaux (D-LA-7)
Cosponsors (6): Rep. Edwin Forsythe, Rep. Billy Tauzin,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- 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.
Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1978 to define an "area affected by Outer Continental Shelf activities" as a geographic area where exploration, development, or production activities have been permitted.
Specifies the revenues that shall make up the Fishermen's Contingency Fund. Limits: (1) the total amounts that the Fund may collect relating to Outer Continental Shelf pipeline activities to $2,000,000; (2) administrative and personnel expenses to eight percent of the amount in the Fund; and (3) annual payments for any lease, permit, easement, or right-of-way to $5,000.
Lists activities for which such Fund may be used, including administrative expenses and attorney fees.
Exempts geological and geophysical permits, other than pre-lease exploratory drilling permits, from payments and assessments under this Act.
Restricts the compensation payable to commercial fishermen for specified "resulting economic losses" to 25 percent of such losses.
Revises the eligibility of certain claims for payments from such Fund.
Establishes a presumption that damages to a fishing vessel were caused by activities related to oil and gas exploration, development, or production if a claimant establishes certain facts. Extends the time within which related damage reports must be filed.
Revises claims procedure provisions to: (1) require the Secretary to notify a claimant about an improperly filed claim within 30 days, and gives such claimant 30 days after such notice to refile; (2) require the Secretary to make an initial claim determination within 60 days, and gives the claimant 30 days after such determination to petition for review; (3) give the petitioner 30 days to submit written or oral evidence concerning such review, and requires the Secretary to make a final determination within 60 days of receipt of such review petition; (4) include claim preparation fees within an award; (5) move judicial review jurisdiction for these adjudications from the U.S. circuit courts to the U.S. district courts; and (6) reduce the time for seeking judicial review from 60 to 30 days.
Eliminates the two-year Outer Continental Shelf obstruction survey requirement.
Requires that regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this Act be promulgated within 120 days.
Allows claimants who have filed for compensation before the effective date of this Act to refile.
Amends the Fishery Conservation Zone Transition Act to approve extension of specified governing international fishery agreements due to expire July 1, 1982.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee; Panama Canal and Outer Continental Shelf Subcommittee
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. 22 actions.
- Jun 30, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-212.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 29, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments to Senate amendment No.1. By Voice Vote.
- Jun 24, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Receded and Concurred With an Amendment in Senate Amendment 001.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Receded and Concurred in Senate Amendments 002, 003, 004, 005.
- Jun 23, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Dec 15, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Dec 3, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Sep 22, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jul 21, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Panama Canal and Outer Continental Shelf Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Panama Canal and Outer Continental Shelf Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jun 30, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Panama Canal and Outer Continental Shelf Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jun 11, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jun 4, 1981CommitteeCommittee · 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.