Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

6 January 1987

Last action

23 March 1988 · Committee

Status

See S.858.

Sponsors

Rep. Bennett, Charles E. [D-FL-3], Rep. Ortiz, Solomon P. [D-TX-27], Rep. Bereuter, Doug [R-NE-1], Rep. Hertel, Dennis M. [D-MI-14], Rep. Hughes, William J. [D-NJ-2], Rep. Martinez, Matthew G. [D-CA-30], Rep. Brooks, Jack B. [D-TX-9], Rep. Lehman, William [D-FL-13], Rep. Pepper, Claude [D-FL-14], Rep. Bentley, Helen Delich [R-MD-2], Rep. MacKay, Buddy [D-FL-6], Rep. Thomas, Lindsay [D-GA-1], Rep. Lancaster, H. Martin [D-NC-3], Rep. Gibbons, Sam [D-FL-7], Rep. Darden, George (Buddy) [D-GA-7], Rep. Hutto, Earl [D-FL-1], Rep. Gray, Kenneth J. [D-IL-24], Del. Fauntroy, Walter E. [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Barnard, Doug, Jr. [D-GA-10], Rep. Pickett, Owen B. [D-VA-2], Rep. Biaggi, Mario [D-NY-10], Rep. Howard, James J. [D-NJ-3], Del. de Lugo, Ron [D-VI-At Large], Del. Sunia, Foto I. F. [D-AS-At Large], Rep. Gekas, George W. [R-PA-17], Rep. Parris, Stanford E. (Stan) [R-VA-8], Rep. Morella, Constance A. [R-MD-8], Rep. Dyson, Roy [D-MD-1], Steny Hoyer, Rep. DeLay, Tom [R-TX-22], Rep. de la Garza, E. [D-TX-15], Rep. McMillen, Thomas [D-MD-4], Rep. Tallon, Robert M. (Robin) [D-SC-6], Rep. Sweeney, David McCann [R-TX-14], Kweisi Mfume, Rep. Bustamante, Albert G. [D-TX-23], Rep. Saxton, Jim [R-NJ-13], Rescom. Fuster, Jamie B. [D-PR-At Large], JOHN LEWIS, Rep. Schneider, Claudine [R-RI-2], Rep. Foglietta, Thomas M. [D-PA-1], Rep. Richardson, Bill [D-NM-3], Rep. Shaw, E. Clay, Jr. [R-FL-15], Rep. Studds, Gerry E. [D-MA-12], Rep. Chapman, Jim [D-TX-1], Rep. Rodino, Peter W., Jr. [D-NJ-10], Rep. Moody, Jim [D-WI-5]

Subjects

Transport

Source updated

28 August 2025

Transport

Official source View documents Share

Summary

Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987 - Provides that the United States asserts title to any abandoned shipwreck that is: (1) embedded in submerged lands of a State; (2) embedded in coralline formations protected by a State on its submerged lands; or (3) on submerged lands of a State when such shipwreck is included or eligible for inclusion in the National Register, and the public is given adequate notice of the location of the shipwreck. Declares that any title to abandoned shipwrecks asserted under such conditions is transferred to the State in or on whose submerged lands the shipwreck is located. States that any abandoned shipwreck in or on the public lands of the United States (except the Outer Continental Shelf) is the property of the United States. Directs the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to publish, within six months after enactment of this Act, advisory guidelines for the protection of shipwrecks and properties.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

6 January 1987
Introduced
Referred to House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
Source: IntroReferral
6 January 1987
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
6 January 1987
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
29 January 1987
Referred
Referred to Subcommittee on Oceanography.
Source: Committee
29 January 1987
Committee
Executive Comment Requested from Commerce, Interior, State, Justice, DOD, DOT.
Source: Committee
5 February 1987
Referred
Referred to Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands.
Source: Committee
20 March 1987
Committee
Executive Comment Requested from Interior.
Source: Committee
21 April 1987
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
15 May 1987
Committee
Executive Comment Requested from Justice.
Source: Committee
5 August 1987
Committee
Executive Comment Received From DOT.
Source: Committee
5 August 1987
Committee
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended).
Source: Committee
5 August 1987
Committee
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Source: Committee
4 February 1988
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
24 February 1988
Committee
For Further Action See S.858.
Source: Committee
23 March 1988
Committee
See S.858.
Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

1 official file

Introduced in House
summary · EN · 6 January 1987
Open at official source

Related records

related to ← Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.

Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/100th-congress/house-bill/74
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/100/hr/74
us · 100-hr-74 · source updated 28 August 2025