A bill to authorize appropriations for certain insular areas of the United States, and for other purposes.

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

26 April 1979

Last action

12 March 1980 · Became law

Status

Public Law 96-205.

Summary

Title I: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands - Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years after 1980 of such sums as may be necessary for certain assistance programs for the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior equal to 50 percent of sums necessary to satisfy all adjudicated claims and final awards made before the enactment of this Act by the Micronesian Claims Commission. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide, for the people of specified atolls in the Marshall Islands, a program of medical care and treatment and environmental research and monitoring for any injury, illness, or condition which may have been the result of the United States nuclear weapons testing program at or near such atolls. Authorizes appropriations for such program. Requires the express approval of Congress before any Federal program not terminated for all recipients may cease to apply to such Territory either before or after the termination of the trusteeship. Title II: Northern Mariana Islands - Requires that the salary and expenses of the government comptroller for the Northern Mariana Islands be paid from funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of the Interior. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior for a health care services grant to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Subjects such grant to the approval of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to administer and enforce, by hiring and training Islands residents, a local territorial income tax and customs duties, without cost to such Islands government and with proceeds covered into the Treasury of Islands. Amends the Covenant to establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America to stipulate that United States income tax laws will not come into force in the Northern Mariana Islands as a local territorial income tax until January 1, 1982. Authorizes appropriations of such sums as may be necessary for the development, maintenance, and operation of the American Memorial Park, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, but not to exceed $3,000,000 for development. Title III: Guam - Amends the Organic Act of Guam to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to administer and enforce (by hiring and training Guam residents and without cost to the Guam government) the collection of: (1) all customs duties derived from Guam and the Guam territorial income tax; and (2) certain other taxes the proceeds of which are covered into the Guam treasury and any tax imposed by local law (upon the request of the Governor of Guam until the legislature of Guam seeks discontinuance of such enforcement). Requires that all amounts heretofore withheld from the Guam treasury (from sums collected as such duties and taxes) as interest on specified Federal assistance be credited as reimbursement payments by Guam on the principal amount advanced by the United States. Directs the Secretary of the Interior, upon certain findings, to extend for 30 years the time limitation on guarantees for purchase by the Federal Financing Bank of bonds or other obligations of the Guam Power Authority. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, under certain conditions, to deduct interest payments due from such Authority from duties and taxes collected and paid to the government of Guam, with such government to receive payments of principal and interest from such Authority. Title IV: Virgin Islands - Extends for ten years the time limitation on Federal commitments to guarantee the issuance of certain bonds and other obligations issued by the Virgin Islands government. Amends the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to administer and enforce (by hiring and training Islands residents and without cost to the government of the Islands) the collection of: (1) all customs duties derived from such Islands and the United States income tax, the proceeds of which are to be covered into the treasury of the Islands; and (2) certain other taxes which are also to be covered into such treasury, with such Secretary's enforcement to be at the request of the Governor of the Islands until the legislature of the Islands requests discontinuance. Amends the Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands to transfer to the Virgin Islands Government title to all property in the Virgin Islands which may have been acquired by the United States from Denmark under a specified convention. Excludes from such transfer certain lands and property already reserved or retained by the United States. Title V: American Samoa - Requires the salary and expenses of the government comptroller of American Samoa to be paid from funds to be appropriated to the Department of the Interior. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, upon the request of the Governor of American Samoa, to administer and enforce the collection of all customs duties derived from American Samoa, without cost to its government and by making every effort to employ and train its residents to carry out such activities. Title VI: Miscellaneous - Directs the Department of the Interior, in administering grants to any Insular Area: (1) to consolidate such grants for any fiscal year or years; and (2) to waive, in its discretion, certain matching funds and written report requirements for grants. Stipulates that authorizations of appropriations by this Act and appropriations pursuant to this Act for any fiscal year shall carry over for appropriation or expenditure in succeeding fiscal years. Permits, to the extent practicable, Federal agencies and instrumentalities to make available their services, facilities, and equipment to the governments of the territories and possessions of the United States and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands on a reimbursable basis or, if otherwise authorized by law, without reimbursement.

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

Timeline

26 April 1979
Introduced
Referred to House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
Source: IntroReferral
26 April 1979
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
26 April 1979
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
4 May 1979
Reported
Reported to House from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs with amendment, H. Rept. 96-120.
Source: Committee
4 May 1979
Reported
Reported to House from the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs with amendment, H. Rept. 96-120.
Source: Committee
7 May 1979
Passed
Measure passed House, amended.
Source: Floor
7 May 1979
Passed
Passed/agreed to in House: Measure passed House, amended.
Source: Floor
7 May 1979
Floor
Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
Source: Floor
9 May 1979
Introduced
Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Source: IntroReferral
7 December 1979
Reported
Reported to Senate from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with amendment, S. Rept. 96-467.
Source: Committee
7 December 1979
Reported
Reported to Senate from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with amendment, S. Rept. 96-467.
Source: Committee
7 February 1980
Floor
Call of calendar in Senate.
Source: Floor
7 February 1980
Passed
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Measure passed Senate, amended.
Source: Floor
25 February 1980
Passed
House agreed to Senate amendment with amendments.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
25 February 1980
Passed
Resolving differences -- House actions: House agreed to Senate amendment with amendments.
Source: NotUsed
28 February 1980
Passed
Senate agreed to House amendments.
Source: ResolvingDifferences
28 February 1980
Passed
Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendments.
Source: NotUsed
4 March 1980
Floor
Measure presented to President.
Source: Floor
4 March 1980
President
Measure presented to President.
Source: President
4 March 1980
President
Measure enrolled in Senate.
Source: President
4 March 1980
President
Measure enrolled in House.
Source: President
12 March 1980
President
Public Law 96-205.
Source: President
12 March 1980
President
Signed by President.
Source: President
12 March 1980
Became law
Signed by President.
Source: BecameLaw

Votes

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Versions

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Documents

6 official files

Public Law (PDF)

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Public Law (PDF)
Public Law · EN · 13 March 1980
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House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment
summary · EN · 25 February 1980
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Passed Senate amended
summary · EN · 7 February 1980
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Reported to Senate with amendment(s)
summary · EN · 7 December 1979
Open at official source
Reported to House with amendment(s)
summary · EN · 4 May 1979
Open at official source
Introduced in House
summary · EN · 26 April 1979
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Related records

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Sources

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

Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/96th-congress/house-bill/3756
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/96/hr/3756
us · 96-hr-3756 · source updated 24 March 2026