An act to authorize $15,500,000 for capital improvement projects on Guam, and for other purposes.
Public Law 98-213 · S. 589 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 8, 1983 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. James McClure (R-ID)
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)
Authorizes appropriations for capital improvement projects on Guam for FY 1984.
Declares that funds appropriated for construction of a hydroelectric facility in Ponape may be appropriated directly to the Secretary of the Army for expenditure by the Chief of Engineers on such construction.
Extends until January 1, 1985 the limited tax exemption for taxable entities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Prohibits taxes rebated by the Northern Mariana Islands from exceeding taxes actually paid for any tax year. Permits such rebates only after the close of the tax year involved. Requires that a public record of all rebate information be maintained.
Requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands to each submit a report to specified committees of the Congress on efforts to develop any needed modification of established income tax rates.
Authorizes additional funding for the program of power and water generation and distribution improvement in the Virgin Islands. Permits such assistance to be in the form of a grant or a loan.
Amends the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to repeal the requirement that all employees of the government of the Virgin Islands be United States citizens.
Amends the Organic Act of Guam to permit Guam to apportion its legislature by law but based on the most recent Federal census.
Permits the Virgin Islands to use rebated rum excise tax collections for emergency relief purposes and essential public projects.
Increases to $200,000 the floor for requiring matching funds from American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands for Federal grants programs.
Permits the implementation of any projects or programs contained in recommendations of the comprehensive energy plans for each of the U.S. territories.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to implement the required health care program for the populations of the four atolls in the Marshall Islands that may have been exposed to radiation from the nuclear weapons testing program.
Requires the Secretary to promptly notify the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate if he finds that the populations of other atolls should be included in the program.
Requires the Secretary to annually transmit to such committees, together with the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, a description of the program and the estimated costs for implementation together with any recommendations which he may have for improvements in such program.
Makes technical amendments to the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union With the United States of America to delay the date for full implementation of the social security system in the Marianas.
Permits the Civil Aeronautics Board to make an essential air service determination for Guam.
Amends the Clean Air Act to allow the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, upon petition by the Governor of Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, to exempt any person or source or class of persons in such territories from certain requirements of such Act. Requires the Administrator to notify specified committees of the Congress of the receipt of any such petition and of the approval or rejection of any such petition and the basis for such action. Exempts any fossil fuel fired steam electric power plant operating within Guam for certain requirements of such Act.
Provides that any future changes to the constitution of American Samoa may be made only by an act of Congress.
Authorizes the Corps of Engineers to conduct studies for the development, utilization, and conservation of water and related land resources within the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Limits the present dairy assessment program to the 48 contiguous States for the period from December 1, 1983, to May 31, 1984.
Excludes the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands from specified provisions of law concerning the regulation of Indians.
Repeals certain laws relating to the territories and possessions of the United States.
Allows the United States to pay compensation to and to employ citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands. Provides that no requirement of U.S. citizenship in any Federal law which provides Federal services or financial assistance shall bar a citizen of the Northern Mariana Islands from receiving such services or assistance. Authorizes the President to issue a proclamation to provide that the requirement of U.S. citizenship or nationality provided for in specified statutes shall not be applicable to the citizens of the Northern Mariana Islands. Specifies procedures and limitations for the issuance of such a proclamation.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Insular and International Affairs Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks 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. 21 actions.
- Dec 8, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-213.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 29, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Nov 18, 1983Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Unanimous Consent Request to Consider Senate Amendments Rejected in House.
- Nov 17, 1983Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the House amendment with an amendment (sp2628) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Oct 3, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- May 16, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 11, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 9, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Insular and International Affairs Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Insular and International Affairs Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 21, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Insular and International Affairs Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 11, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 7, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
- Mar 31, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 23, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 8, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Feb 24, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources 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.