A bill to amend the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act to authorize additional measures to carry out the control of salinity upstream of Imperial Dam in a cost-effective manner, and for other purposes.
Public Law 104-20 · S. 523 · 104th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Jul 28, 1995 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Cosponsors (7): Sen. Hank Brown, Sen. Ben Campbell,
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.
Amends the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to implement a basinwide salinity control program. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out such program directly or through grants, commitments for grants, or advances of funds to non-Federal entities.
Specifies that such program shall: (1) consist of cost-effective measures and associated works to reduce salinity from saline springs, leaking wells, irrigation sources, industrial sources, erosion of public and private land, or other appropriate sources; and (2) provide for the mitigation of incidental fish and wildlife values that are lost as a result of such measures.
Directs the Secretary to submit a planning report concerning the program to the appropriate congressional committees. Prohibits the Secretary from expending funds for any such implementation program before the expiration of 30 days after the Secretary submits such report.
Authorizes appropriations. Allows for the implementation of the program under this Act only to the extent and in such amounts as provided in advance in appropriations Acts.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Public Lands, Forests, and Mining 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. 20 actions.
- Jul 28, 1995Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-20.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 18, 1995PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jul 11, 1995FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- Jul 10, 1995FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 5, rule I, the chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Vento objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Doolittle moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jun 7, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 24, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- May 3, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- May 1, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 27, 1995FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Voice Vote.
- Apr 3, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 29, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 10, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 9, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources 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.