A bill to amend section 20 of the Act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1185; 46 U.S.C. 688) to provide that actions may not be maintained under such section or under any other maritime laws of the United States for damages incurred by foreign persons or such persons' legal representatives when such persons are injured or killed outside the United States, the territorial waters of the United States, or the Outer Continental Shelf of the United States, while employed on certain special purpose vessels engaged in activities relating to the off-shore exploration for, or production of, oil, gas, or other minerals unless no remedy is available under the laws of the country asserting jurisdiction over the area in which the incident giving rise to the action occurred or in which the individual maintained citizenship or residency.
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 5, 1980: Referred to House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
JOHN BREAUX (D-LA) introduced it on March 5, 1980, and 11 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 6 Democrats, 5 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 5, 1980, 16990 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16990 days ago, on March 5, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers