An act to extend for three additional years the provisions of the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 relating to the reimbursement of United States commercial fishermen for certain losses incurred incident to the seizure of their vessels by foreign nations; and for other purposes.
Public Law 97-68 · S. 1191 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 26, 1981 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
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 amendment with an amendment)
Amends the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 to direct the Secretary of Commerce to deposit or invest fees collected from certain United States fishing vessel owners which are not currently needed for reimbursements for losses incurred due to seizures of vessels by a foreign country.
Extends the authority to make such reimbursements through October 1, 1984.
Extends from January 1, 1983 (January 1, 1982 in the case of seagoing barges) through January 1, 1988, the current exemption from specified inspection requirements for cannery tender vessels, fishing tender vessels. seagoing barges under 5,000 gross tons, and other vessels used in processing or assembling fishery products in the fisheries of the States of Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.
Declares nonnavigable the portion of the Green River in the State of Washington lying upstream from the State Highway 516 bridge which is in existence on the date of enactment.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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. 9 actions.
- Oct 26, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-68.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 14, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 7, 1981Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments by Voice Vote.
- Sep 30, 1981Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in House amendments to Senate amendments with amendments SU460 by Voice Vote.
- Sep 21, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Aug 3, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- May 15, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported original measure by 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.