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Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Amendments of 1988

Public Law 100-616 · S. 1991 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 5, 1988 · Energy

Sponsor: Sen. Timothy Wirth (D-CO)

Cosponsors (5): Sen. William Armstrong,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • 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.

Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Amendments Act of 1988 - Amends the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to transfer permanently to the Secretary of Energy public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management in the vicinity of certain processing sites.

Prohibits such transfer until the Secretary of Energy complies with certain National Environmental Policy Act requirements regarding site selection for the permanent disposition and stabilization of residual radioactive materials.

Requires the Secretary of Energy to obtain the appropriate State's consent before acquiring lands upon which there is no: (1) designated processing site; or (2) active uranium mill operation.

Terminates the Secretary of Energy's authority to perform remedial action on September 30, 1994. Provides that the Secretary's authority to perform groundwater restoration activities is without limitation.

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. 13 actions.

  1. Nov 5, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-616.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 27, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 19, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
  5. Oct 13, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
  6. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  7. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  8. Oct 12, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
  9. Sep 23, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  10. Sep 15, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  11. Dec 22, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Energy Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  12. Dec 21, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  13. 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.