Ports Improvement Act of 1980
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Ports Improvement Act of 1980 - Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to undertake navigation improvements to: (1) Norfolk Harbor and Channels, Virginia; (2) Mobile Harbor, Alabama; (3) Baltimore Harbor and Channels, Maryland; (4) Philadelphia Harbor, Pennsylvania; (5) Charleston Harbor, South Carolina; and (6) New York Harbor and Channels, New York. Requires the Chief of Engineers, within one year of the date of enactment of this Act, to submit to Congress a final environmental impact statement for each such project demonstrating compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Clean Water Act, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and other statutory requirements as determined to be pertinent by the Chief of Engineers. Authorizes the Chief of Engineers to develop, improve, and maintain the Nation's harbors and other waterways at such depths and dimensions to insure the safe and efficient conduct of defense transportation or foreign and domestic commerce. Authorizes the Chief of Engineers to allot, from existing Department of the Army civil works appropriations, such sums as are necessary (pending permanent appropriations) for immediate prosecution of advanced engineering and design and other necessary studies for the improvements authorized by this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on December 15, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
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 December 15, 1980: Referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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?
JENNINGS RANDOLPH (D-WV) introduced it on December 15, 1980. No cosponsors are recorded.
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 December 15, 1980, 16705 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16705 days ago, on December 15, 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers