An act to authorize the conveyance of the Liberty ship JOHN W. BROWN.
Public Law 98-133 · H.R. 1556 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 18, 1983 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-NY-19)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to convey the right, title, and interest of the United States in the vessel John W. Brown to a nonprofit corporation for use as a merchant marine memorial museum.
Extends from July 1 to August 1, 1983, the date by which a resident alien president or chief executive officer of a vessel's corporate owner must file a declaration of intention to become a U.S. citizen in order to meet vessel documentation requirements.
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: Merchant Marine 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. 19 actions.
- Oct 18, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-133.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 7, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 6, 1983Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 30, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Sep 26, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Sep 20, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Aug 2, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jul 19, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Over by House Without Prejudice.
- Jun 23, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Apr 27, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Apr 14, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Mar 11, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Mar 2, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Merchant Marine Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Feb 17, 1983CommitteeCommittee · 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.