Export Trade Association Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
Export Trade Association Act of 1979 - Amends the Webb-Pomerene Act to exempt certified export trade associations from the antitrust laws. Authorizes Federal agencies to enforce only the provisions regarding such associations. Permits third parties to file petitions requesting enforcement action with the Secretary of Commerce. Limits the prohibition against unfair methods of competition to domestic competitors engaged in export trade. Sets forth the procedure for obtaining certification as an organization engaged solely in export trade. Provides for appeal of the Secretary's denial of certification. Requires the Secretary, the Attorney General, and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission to publish guidelines for determining whether an association will meet the certification requirements. Requires certified associations to submit annual reports to the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to establish within the Department of Commerce an office to promote export trade associations. Provides for automatic certification of existing associations. Stipulates that all applications for certification be kept confidential with specified exceptions. Authorizes the Secretary to require an association to modify its operation to be consistent with international obligations of the United States. Directs the President to appoint, with the Senate's advice and consent, a task force seven years after enactment to examine the effect of this Act and to make recommendations.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on April 4, 1979. 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 April 4, 1979: Referred to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
- 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?
JOHN DANFORTH (R-MO) introduced it on April 4, 1979, and 5 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 1 Democrat, 4 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 April 4, 1979, 17373 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17373 days ago, on April 4, 1979.
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