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Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act of 1992

Public Law 102-402 · H.R. 1435 · 102nd Congress · began in the House

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Oct 9, 1992 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-CO-1)

Cosponsors (2): Rep. Wayne Allard,

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.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Act of 1992 - Directs the Secretaries of the Army and of the Interior to enter into a memorandum of understanding that transfers to the Secretary of the Interior, without reimbursement and by October 1, 1992, all responsibility to manage certain lands comprising the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado, for wildlife and public use purposes. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish such property as a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Subjects the management of the property by the Secretary of the Interior to any response action carried out under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) and other applicable laws and to actions required under other statutes to remediate petroleum products or their derivatives. Permits such property to be transferred only after the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency certifies to the Secretary of the Army that such response actions have been completed.

Directs the Secretary of the Army to transfer jurisdiction over such property to the Secretary of the Interior, with specified exceptions.

Requires the Secretary of the Army to retain jurisdiction, authority, and control over all Arsenal property used for water treatment, storage, or disposal of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants, and other purposes related to response actions and actions to remediate petroleum products. Continues such jurisdiction over all conveyed property with respect to such response actions.

Requires Federal agencies that have conducted operations at the Arsenal resulting in the release of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants to pay the cost of related response actions.

Provides that the establishment of the Refuge shall not lessen any response action.

Applies the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Bald Eagle Protection Act to all actions at the Arsenal.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge on the conveyed property within 30 days of the transfer of jurisdiction. Sets forth the purposes for which the Refuge is established. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to confer with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to coordinate the management of the Refuge with the operations of the Denver International Airport. Prohibits the annexation of lands within the Refuge by any unit of local government or the construction of public roads through it.

Designates certain property at the Arsenal for disposal for commercial, highway, or other public use purposes. Subjects such disposal to perpetual restrictions that prohibit use of the property for: (1) residential or industrial purposes; (2) a source of potable water; (3) hunting or fishing (except for nonconsumptive use subject to appropriate restrictions); or (4) agricultural purposes (except as part of response actions or erosion control).

Committees

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

  • Armed Services Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee
  • Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment 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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 27 actions.

  1. Oct 9, 1992Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-402.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 30, 1992PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 25, 1992Resolving 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 · Mrs. Schroeder asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendments.
  7. Sep 18, 1992FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  8. FloorFloor · Amendment SP 3086 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
  9. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  10. Jul 7, 1992FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  11. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  12. FloorFloor · Mrs. Schroeder moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  14. Jul 1, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  15. Jun 25, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  17. Mar 20, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Armed Services Committee
  18. Feb 19, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Armed Services Committee
  19. Jan 23, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee
  21. Sep 9, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee
  22. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  23. Mar 19, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Military Installations and Facilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee
  24. Mar 18, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  25. Mar 13, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services Committee
  26. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  27. 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.