A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the appropriate minimum altitude for aircraft flying over national park system units.
Public Law 100-91 · H.R. 921 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 18, 1987 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Anthony Coelho (D-CA-15)
Cosponsors (63): Rep. Morris Udall, Rep. Bruce Vento,
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.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National Park Service, to conduct a study of the proper minimum altitude which should be maintained by aircraft flying over areas within units of the National Park System.
Directs the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Federal Aviation Administration, to provide technical assistance to the Secretary of the Interior for such study.
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to report to the Congress, within three years after enactment of this Act, regarding the study results.
Requires the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to: (1) review, on the basis of aviation safety, current regulations pertaining to aircraft flights over units of the National Park System addressed in the study conducted by the Secretary of the Interior or other units as needed or requested; and (2) report to the Congress the results of such review together with recommendations for changes.
Authorizes appropriations for such studies.
Prohibits any fixed wing aircraft or helicopter from flying below specified minimum altitudes, during such study and review periods, over the surfaces of Yosemite National Park and Haleakala National Park, except as specified.
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to submit recommendations for air traffic management and noise abatement over Grand Canyon National Park to the Administrator, including flight free zones and allowing transport to specified Indian lands. Requires the Administrator to prepare and issue a final plan for the management of such air space. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to report to the Congress whether such final plan has succeeded in substantially restoring the natural quiet in the Grand Canyon National Park. Exempts certain helicopter flights of river runners from prohibition under the noise abatement plan.
Requires the Administrator to survey aircraft flights over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota, and to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the type and frequency of aircraft using such airspace.
Directs the Chief of the Forest Service to assess and report to the Congress within two years any adverse impacts to wilderness resources from overflights of National Forest System wilderness areas.
Authorizes appropriations.
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. 23 actions.
- Aug 18, 1987Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-91.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 7, 1987PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 3, 1987Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 28, 1987FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jul 24, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jul 14, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jul 1, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 25, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- May 5, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- May 4, 1987FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Apr 29, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Apr 28, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Apr 8, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 31, 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
- Mar 24, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 18, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Feb 3, 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.