Enchanted National Forest, Cave Research Institute, and the Prehistoric Trackways Study Act of 1990
Public Law 101-578 · H.R. 5796 · 101st Congress · began in the House
Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Nov 15, 1990 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. William Richardson (D-NM-3)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Title I: Enchanted National Forest Information and Education Study - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report to a specified congressional committee on the opportunities to establish an information center on the national forests in New Mexico and to expand the environmental education program for those forests.
Authorizes appropriations.
Title II: Cave Research Institute - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish and administer a Cave Research Program for the orderly and scholarly collection, analysis, and dissemination of research material related to caves in lands managed by the National Park Service, including Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the Captain Reef area.
Requires the Secretary to transmit to specified congressional committees a study on the feasibility of establishing a Cave Research Institute.
Authorizes appropriations.
Title III: Prehistoric Trackways Study - Withdraws the Prehistoric Trackways Study Area from public land and mining laws, except mineral leasing laws. Terminates such withdrawal two years after a certain study by the Secretary of Agriculture is sent to the Congress.
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to study and report to specified congressional committees on the alternatives for the protection and interpretation of the fossil resources within the study area.
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: Federal Lands Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: 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. 21 actions.
- Nov 15, 1990Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 101-578.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 6, 1990PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 26, 1990FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 23, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 22, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 16, 1990FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · On ordering a second Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Lagomarsino demanded a second on the motion to suspend the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Vento moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 10, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 9, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 5, 1990CommitteeCommittee · 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.