Coastal Barrier Resources Act
Public Law 97-348 · S. 1018 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 18, 1982 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. John Chafee (R-RI)
Cosponsors (58): Sen. William Cohen, Sen. George Mitchell,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
Coastal Barrier Resources Act - Declares the purpose of this Act to be to minimize the loss of human life, wasteful expenditure of Federal revenues, and the damage to fish, wildlife, and other natural resources associated with the coastal barriers along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts by restricting future Federal expenditures and financial assistance which have the effect of encouraging development of coastal barriers, by establishing a Coastal Barrier Resources System (System), and by considering the means and measures by which the long-term conservation of these fish, wildlife, and other natural resources may be achieved.
Establishes the Coastal Barrier Resources System (System) which shall consist of specified undeveloped coastal barriers on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Permits landowners on coastal barriers or associated landforms not included in the System to enter it within one year.
Requires that certain coastal barrier maps shall be available for public inspection through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide copies of such maps to the chief executive officer of: (1) each State and political subdivision in which a System unit is located; (2) each affected Federal agency; and (3) each affected State coastal zone management agency.
Authorizes the Secretary to make minor modifications to such maps within 180 days. Requires: (1) congressional notification of any such modifications; and (2) review of such maps at least once every five years. Authorizes State coastal zone management agencies to submit similar modification proposals within 90 days.
Limits Federal expenditures to specified projects, including energy resource development, military activities, channel improvements, conservation activities, habitat land purchases, certain emergency activities, road and facility repairs, navigation aids, and scientific research projects.
Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to certify annually to Congress that the Federal agencies concerned have complied with the provisions of this Act.
Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed as indicating Congress' intent to change the existing relationship of Federal laws to State and local law, or as interfering with a State's rights over lands within its established boundaries.
Requires a System report to Congress within three years. Sets forth such report's content, including an analysis of the effect of revenue sharing grants on such coastal areas.
Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to prohibit new Federal flood insurance as of October 1, 1983, for structures located within the System.
Amends the Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act of 1981 to repeal provisions: (1) authorizing the Secretary to designate undeveloped coastal barriers; (2) requiring a related report to Congress; and (3) providing for national flood insurance availability for such areas.
Authorizes appropriations for FY 1983 through 1985.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Environment and Public Works Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Water Resources, Transportation, Public Buildings, and Economic Development 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. 24 actions.
- Oct 18, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-348.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 12, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 1, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Unanimous Consent.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Unanimous Consent.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 97-928 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 97-928 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Stafford; Chafee; Gorton; Randolph; Moynihan.
- FloorFloor · Senate disagreed to the House amendments by Voice Vote.
- Sep 28, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Jones (NC), Breaux, Studds, Hughes, Snyder, Forsythe, Evans (DE), Roe, Edgar, Fary, Clausen, Hammerschmidt.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Amendments by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 23, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- May 26, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- May 13, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Apr 28, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Water Resources, Transportation, Public Buildings, and Economic Development Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Water Resources, Transportation, Public Buildings, and Economic Development Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Feb 3, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water Resources, Transportation, Public Buildings, and Economic Development Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Apr 28, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Water Resources, Transportation, Public Buildings, and Economic Development Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works 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.