A bill authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to preserve certain wetlands and historic and prehistoric sites in the St. Johns River Valley, Florida, and for other purposes.
Public Law 100-249 · H.R. 1983 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Feb 16, 1988 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Bennett (D-FL-3)
Cosponsors (18): Rep. Buddy MacKay, Rep. William Chappell,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Title I: Fort Caroline National Memorial - Provides that the Fort Caroline National Memorial shall serve as the principal interpretive center and administrative facility for the ecological, historic, and prehistoric resources of the historic settlement of Fort Caroline, Saint Johns Bluffs, Florida. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to construct and maintain museum facilities.
Title II: Preservation of St. Johns River Valley Ecological Area and Protection of Significant Historic Assets - Establishes the Timucuan (Timucuan Indians) Ecological and Historic Preserve in St. Johns River Valley, Florida, including the Theodore Roosevelt Preserve. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire lands within the Preserve by donation, purchase, or exchange. Requires that legal rights of access or right of way shall not be impaired by such acquisition and that such lands be managed to protect their natural ecology. States that the multiunit residential resort project proposed for Fort George Island remains unaffected by this Act.
Authorizes the Secretary to acquire, with the consent of the owners, by donation or purchase with donated funds, historic sites or properties in Duval County, Florida to become part of the Preserve.
Provides for the integrated administration and interpretation of the Preserve with the Memorial.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Feb 16, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-249.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Feb 5, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Feb 2, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 12, 1987FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Dec 9, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Dec 2, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 29, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 22, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 21, 1987FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jul 20, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 15, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 7, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 18, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- May 8, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 8, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.