H.R. 4996 · 117th Congress

Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021

Introduced on Aug 10, 2021 by John Garamendi (D-CA-3). 96 cosponsors, 48 of them from another party. Latest action (Dec 9, 2021): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Stage
Passed one chamber
Introduced
Aug 10, 2021
Cosponsors
96
48 from the other party
Policy area
Transportation and Public Works
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. 4Passed both chambers
  5. 5Sent to the President
  6. 6Became law

Official title

To amend title 46, United States Code, with respect to prohibited acts by ocean common carriers or marine terminal operators, and for other purposes.

Subjects

  • Business records
  • Civil actions and liability
  • Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
  • Congressional oversight
  • Contracts and agency
  • Fraud offenses and financial crimes
  • Government information and archives
  • Government studies and investigations
  • Manufacturing
  • Marine and inland water transportation
  • Motor carriers
  • Navigation, waterways, harbors
  • Railroads
  • Transportation costs

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Passed House, Dec 8, 2021). Public domain.

Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021

This bill revises provisions related to ocean shipping policies and is designed to support the growth and development of U.S. exports and promote reciprocal trade in the common carriage of goods by water in the foreign commerce of the United States.

Among other provisions, the bill

  • sets forth requirements for operating a shipping exchange involving ocean transportation in the foreign commerce of the United States;
  • requires ocean common carriers to report to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) each calendar quarter on total import and export tonnage and the total loaded and empty 20-foot equivalent units per vessel that makes port in the United States;
  • requires the FMC to publish and annually update all its findings of false certifications by ocean common carriers or marine terminal operators and all penalties assessed against such carriers or operators;
  • revises annual reporting requirements for the FMC on foreign laws and practices to include practices by ocean common carriers;
  • prohibits ocean common carriers and marine terminal operators from retaliating or discriminating against shippers because such shippers have patronized another carrier, or filed a complaint;
  • directs the FMC to establish rules prohibiting ocean common carriers and marine terminal operators from adopting and applying unjust and unreasonable demurrage and detention fees;
  • authorizes the FMC to initiate investigations of an ocean common carrier's fees or charges and apply enforcement measures, as appropriate;
  • directs the Department of Transportation to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to study the U.S. supply chain industry, including data constraints that impede the flow of maritime cargo and add to supply chain inefficiencies; and
  • provides authority for the FMC to issue an emergency order requiring ocean common carriers or marine terminal operators to share directly with relevant shippers, rail carriers, or motor carriers information relating to cargo throughput and availability.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

John GaramendiD-CA-3Sponsor

Democrats · 48

Republicans · 48

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

  1. On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended
    Dec 8, 2021· House· Passage· Passed 364–60

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Aug 10, 2021Introduced in House
  2. Aug 10, 2021Introduced in House
  3. Aug 10, 2021Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E888)
  4. Aug 10, 2021 · HouseReferred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  5. Aug 11, 2021 · HouseReferred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
  6. Dec 8, 2021 · HouseMr. Garamendi moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  7. Dec 8, 2021 · HouseConsidered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7472-7479)
  8. Dec 8, 2021 · HouseDEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4996.
  9. Dec 8, 2021 · HouseAt the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  10. Dec 8, 2021 · HouseConsidered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H7528-7529)
  11. Dec 8, 2021Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 364 - 60 (Roll no. 406).(text: CR H7473-7475)House · Roll call 406
  12. Dec 8, 2021 · HouseOn motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 364 - 60 (Roll no. 406). (text: CR H7473-7475)House · Roll call 406
  13. Dec 8, 2021 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  14. Dec 9, 2021 · SenateReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Who lobbied on it

Organizations whose lobbying reports (LD-2) name this measure. Spending is what they reported for those quarters on all issues, not on this measure alone.

  1. SEABOARD CORPORATION5 reports
    $100K reported (all issues)Federal contractor: SEABOARD FOODS LLCAI match · 100%
  2. DAIRY FARMERS OF AMERICA, INC.3 reports
    $580K reported (all issues)Federal contractor: DAIRY FARMERS OF AMERICA, INC.$3.3M in contracts, FY2026AI match · 100%
  3. Solvay America LLC, a member of the Syensqo Group3 reports
    $580K reported (all issues)
  4. NATIONAL FISHERIES INSTITUTE2 reports
    $400K reported (all issues)
  5. Solvay America LLC, a member of the Syensqo Group (FKA Solvay America, Inc.)2 reports
    $460K reported (all issues)

Reports filed in 2023, 2024.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 6, 2026 · loaded Oct 6, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.
  • Money and votes are shown side by side; neither explains the other.