A bill to improve certain maritime programs of the Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce.
Public Law 98-595 · H.R. 5833 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 30, 1984 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Rep. Mario Biaggi (D-NY-19)
Cosponsors (3): Rep. Walter Jones, Rep. Joel Pritchard,
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.
Amends the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, to declare that an assumption of an obligation by the Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary of Commerce does not affect the validity of the guarantee of such obligation. Makes eligible for a loan guarantee any vessel or fishery facility for which obligations were accelerated and paid after default.
Revises restrictions on the Secretary of Transportation's authority to make a loan guarantee, by setting forth areas of consideration for the Secretary prior to making such guarantee, including the need for technical improvements for inland waterways.
Authorizes the Secretaries, in the event of a default, to assume the obligor's rights and duties under a loan or other security agreement.
Requires regulations on fees charged loan obligors to provide a formula for determining creditworthiness under which the most creditworthy obligors qualify for the fee computed on the lowest allowable percentage, and the least creditworthy obligors for a fee computed on the highest allowable percentage.
Eliminates the authority of the Federal Maritime Commission to initiate investigations.
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 by
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. 13 actions.
- Oct 30, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-595.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 19, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 11, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments.
- Oct 10, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Oct 2, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Aug 8, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jul 26, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jul 24, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jul 10, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jun 19, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jun 12, 1984CommitteeCommittee · 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.