National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Improvement Act of 1994
Public Law 103-232 · S. 476 · 103rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Apr 11, 1994 · Environmental Protection
Sponsor: Sen. John Chafee (R-RI)
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.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Title I: Amendments to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Establishment Act
Title II: Brownsville Wetlands Policy Center
Title III: Walter B. Jones Center for the Sounds at the
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Title I: Amendments to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act - National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Improvement Act of 1994 - Amends the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act to: (1) allow private funds donated to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to be utilized for activities and services of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (2) require the Secretary of the Interior to consult with the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere before appointing any Director of the Board for the foundation; (3) expand Board membership and revise appointment and term provisions; and (4) reauthorize appropriations for such Act through FY 1998.
Authorizes the Secretary to convey to Ohio the Senecaville National Fish Hatchery in Senecaville, Ohio, for use in its fishery resources management program.
Title II: Brownsville Wetlands Policy Center - Brownsville Wetlands Policy Act of 1994 - Establishes at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, the Brownsville Wetlands Policy Center to use the wetlands property at the Port and adjacent waters of south Texas to focus on wetland matters for the purpose of protecting, restoring, and maintaining the lagoon ecosystems of the western Gulf of Mexico region.
Establishes a Board of Directors and provides for Center oversight. Requires the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make grants for center activities. Authorizes the Director to enter into a lease with the Port for Center use of wetlands property.
Authorizes appropriations through FY 1997. Prohibits such funds from being used to relocate operations from the Center for Environmental Studies and Services Building on the campus of Corpus Christi State University, Texas, to the Center.
Title III: Walter B. Jones Center for the Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to construct and operate the Walter B. Jones Center for the Sounds at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Tyrrell County, North Carolina, to: (1) provide public opportunities, facilities, and resources to study the natural history and natural resources of northeastern North Carolina; (2) offer a variety of environmental educational programs and interpretive exhibits; (3) foster an awareness and understanding of the interactions among wildlife, estuarine and wetland ecosystems, and human activities; and (4) provide office space and facilities for refuge administration, research, education, and related activities.
Directs the Secretary to ensure that the design, size, and location of a facility constructed under this Act are consistent with the cultural and natural history of the area with which the facility will be concerned.
Authorizes the Secretary to accept contributions of funds from non-Federal sources to pay the costs of operating and maintaining the facility. Directs the Secretary to take appropriate steps to obtain such contributions.
Sets forth reporting requirements.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Apr 11, 1994Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 103-232.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 30, 1994PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Mar 25, 1994Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments by Voice Vote.
- Mar 21, 1994FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · 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 · Mr. Studds moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 8, 1994FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Feb 10, 1994CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jan 27, 1994CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Mar 2, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.