A bill to amend the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 to clarify the conveyance and ownership of submerged lands by Alaska Natives, Native Corporations and the State of Alaska.
Public Law 100-395 · H.R. 2629 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 16, 1988 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
Cosponsors: None
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: Submerged Lands - Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to require lakes, rivers, and streams to be meandered in accordance with specified principles whenever the Secretary of the Interior surveys land selected by an Alaska Native, a Native corporation, or the State of Alaska pursuant to such Act, the Alaska Statehood Act, or this Act. Prohibits certain size lakes, rivers, and streams from being meandered if title to lands beneath such navigable waters did not vest in the State under the Submerged Lands Act.
Provides that when the Secretary conveys land to an Alaska Native, a Native corporation, or the State which abuts or surrounds a lake, river, or stream which is required to be meandered, then any U.S. interest in the land under such lake, river, or stream shall vest in and not be charged against the acreage entitlement of such Native, Native corporation, or State.
Incorporates and ratifies the Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of the Interior and the State of Alaska dated March 28, 1984.
Provides that nothing in this Act shall alter any land exchange agreement between the United States and a Native corporation.
Title II: Approval of Conveyance in ANWR - Provides that the Secretary does not have authority to convey lands or interest in lands within the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (other than land validly selected prior to July 28, 1987), without prior approval by the Congress.
Title III: Approval of Public Land Order - Includes specified lands comprising 325,000 acres described in Public Land Order 6607 in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to be administered in accordance with the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
Directs the Secretary to prepare a report which assesses the effects of the implementation of this Act on Conservation System Units (CSUs) as defined by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and makes recommendations for appropriate action.
Requires that such report: (1) identify and estimate the acreage of all lands currently patented to or selected by a Native, Native Corporation, or the State pursuant to specified Acts that are within the boundaries of CSUs; (2) establish priorities for the acquisition of such lands; and (3) make recommendations as to administrative or congressional action deemed appropriate to reduce any adverse effects of this Act on the management of lands or resources within CSUs.
Directs the Secretary to submit such report within one year of the date of enactment of this Act to specified congressional committees.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment 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. 20 actions.
- Aug 16, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-395.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 5, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 2, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 14, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Mar 18, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 2, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 20, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 4, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 3, 1987FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jul 29, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 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.