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Geothermal Steam Act Amendments of 1988

Public Law 100-443 · S. 1889 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 22, 1988 · Energy

Sponsor: Sen. John Melcher (D-MT)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. Jacob Hecht

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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

(Senate agreed to House amendments with an amendment)

Geothermal Steam Act Amendments of 1988 - Amends the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 to remove bona fide sales of geothermal steam as a requirement for geothermal lease extensions. Amends the commercial production or utilization requirement of geothermal steam leases to include wells capable of producing geothermal steam in commercial quantities only if the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) determines that diligent efforts are being made towards geothermal steam utilization. Permits extension of lease terms for up to two successive five-year periods even though geothermal steam has not been produced or utilized in commercial quantities by the end of its primary or extended term if the lessee can show bona fide production or utilization efforts and: (1) make annual payments in lieu of the production of commercial quantities; or (2) demonstrate significant expenditures on an annual basis.

Requires the Secretary to review cooperative or unit plans of development on a five-year periodic basis in order to eliminate those leases that are not regarded as reasonably necessary to operations.

Requires the Secretary to maintain a list of National Park System units with significant thermal features and to maintain a monitoring program for such features. Specifies units to be listed. Directs the Secretary to determine if operations proposed by a lease applicant would likely subject significant thermal features within the National Park System to significant adverse effects. Prohibits the issuance of a lease upon such a finding. Mandates that stipulations designed to protect significant thermal features be included in leases and drilling permits.

Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to consider the effects on significant thermal features within units of the National Park System in determining whether to consent to leasing lands under his jurisdiction.

Prohibits the Secretary from issuing a lease for land within the Island Park Geothermal Area. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress regarding the presence or absence of significant thermal features within Crater Lake National Park. Suspends all geothermal resource production (including leases and drilling permits) in the Corwin Springs Known Geothermal Resources Area until 180 days after the United States Geological Survey has submitted to the Congress an impact study of present and potential geothermal resources development in such areas on thermal features within Yellowstone National Park.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.

  1. Sep 22, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-443.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 13, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 9, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Aug 9, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the House amendments with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Jun 13, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  7. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
  9. Mar 17, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Mining and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  10. Feb 17, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  11. Feb 16, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
  12. Feb 4, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  13. Jan 27, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  14. Nov 23, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Energy Production and Regulation Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  15. Nov 20, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  16. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.