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Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act

Public Law 102-212 · H.R. 794 · 102nd Congress · began in the House

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Dec 11, 1991 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Silvio Conte (R-MA-1)

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.

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Summary

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

Title I: Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act - Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to designate refuge boundaries within the lands and waters of the Connecticut River basin. Authorizes the Secretary, to the extent authorized under existing laws, to acquire lands and waters for inclusion in the refuge.

Establishes the Silvio Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge when sufficient property has been acquired that can be effectively managed as a refuge.

Directs the Secretary to work with, provide technical assistance to, provide community outreach and education programs for or with, or enter into cooperative agreements with private and public entities to further the purposes of the refuge.

Establishes the Silvio Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Advisory Committee.

Authorizes the Secretary to construct, administer, and maintain: (1) at an appropriate site within the refuge up to four Silvio Conte National Fish and Wildlife Education Centers; or (2) enter into cooperative agreements to share the construction and operation of and the land acquisition for the center at an appropriate site, using appropriated or donated funds.

Authorizes appropriations.

Title II: Miscellaneous Provisions - Authorizes an agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the University of Massachusetts/Amherst to establish the Silvio O. Conte Memorial Scholarship Fund to encourage students to enter the fields of fisheries and wildlife ecology and conservation, natural resources policy and administration, or ecology. Authorizes the Director of the Service to make a one-time contribution of up to a specified amount to the University to establish the Fund.

Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Operations Indemnification Clarification Act of 1988 to authorize the construction, administration, and maintenance at an appropriate site of a wildlife interpretation and education or visitor center. Authorizes agreements to share the costs of those activities, using appropriated or donated funds.

Title III: Culebra National Wildlife Refuge - Allows the headquarters facility and residences for the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge to be constructed on lands leased from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico on a long-term basis.

Amends the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act to allow an increased Federal share of cost-sharing for coastal wetlands conservation projects for States which have: (1) a trust fund from which the principal is not spent; or (2) a fund derived from a dedicated recurring source. (Current law allows an increased Federal share for States which have a trust fund from which the principal is not spent.)

Committees

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

  • Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee
  • Environment and Public Works Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported by
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. 25 actions.

  1. Dec 11, 1991Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-212.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 3, 1991PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 25, 1991Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Studds asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendments.
  7. Nov 23, 1991FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
  8. FloorFloor · Amendment SP 1438 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
  9. FloorFloor · Amendment SP 1437 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
  10. FloorFloor · Amendment SP 1436 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
  11. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  12. Sep 30, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
  13. Jul 31, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
  14. May 17, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
  15. May 14, 1991FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  16. FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  17. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  18. FloorFloor · Mr. Studds moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  19. May 13, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  20. May 2, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  22. Apr 18, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  23. Feb 12, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  24. Feb 5, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  25. 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.

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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.