Fisheries Amendments of 1982
Public Law 97-389 · H.R. 3942 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 29, 1982 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. John Breaux (D-LA-7)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Edwin Forsythe, Rep. William Hughes
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.
Fisheries Amendments of 1982 - Title I: Commercial Fisheries Research and Development Act - Amends the Commercial Fisheries Research and Development Act of 1964 to authorize appropriations through FY 1985. Eliminates FY 1983 authorizations for new fisheries development.
Title II: Marine Mammal Protection - Amends the North Pacific Fisheries Act of 1954 to extend the General Permit issued to Japan to fish for salmon in the U.S. fishery conservation zone through June 9, 1987, provided that specified fishing fleet measures are undertaken to protect porpoises and other marine mammals. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to determine appropriate fishing improvements.
Requires the Secretary to report annually regarding General Permit compliance.
Requires the Memorandum of Understanding between Japan and the United States (dated June 3, 1981) to be modified or renegotiated by June 9, 1984, to reflect the provisions of this Act.
Requires Senate consent to presidential appointments to the Marine Mammal Commission.
Title III: North Atlantic Salmon Treaty - Atlantic Salmon Convention Act of 1982 - Implements the North Atlantic Salmon Treaty. Authorizes U.S. contributions beginning in FY 1983 to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization.
Title IV: Governing International Fishery Agreements - Approves specified fishery agreements with Japan and Spain.
Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions - Directs the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating to provide U.S. documentation to two specified vessels.
Amends the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, as amended, to deem the carrying by a U.S. vessel (from a point in the United States) of waste to be incinerated at sea as transportation by water of merchandise between U.S. points. Sets forth Coast Guard inspection provisions for non-U.S. incineration vessels.
Amends maritime tort law to require a foreign worker injured in an offshore mineral operation abroad to first exhaust remedies in his home country or in the country having jurisdiction over the injury site before seeking U.S. remedies.
Amends the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, to permit U.S. fish processing vessels to carry certain fish processing supplies between U.S. ports.
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
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. 16 actions.
- Dec 29, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-389.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 17, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 10, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Nov 5, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Nov 4, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Oct 27, 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
- Jun 24, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jun 22, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jun 17, 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.