Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Act of 1997
Public Law 105-156 · H.R. 3042 · 105th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Feb 11, 1998 · Environmental Protection
Sponsor: Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ-5)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Ed Pastor
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Act of 1997 - Amends the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental and Native American Public Policy Act of 1992 to include on the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation the chairperson of the President's Council on Environmental Quality.
Revises the purposes and authority of the Foundation to include establishment of the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution to assist the Government in implementing environmental assessment provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
Establishes the Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund in the Treasury for the establishment and operation of the Institute.
Establishes procedures for use by a Federal agency of the Foundation and the Institute to provide assessment, mediation, or related services in connection with a dispute or conflict related to the environment, public lands, or natural resources.
Authorizes appropriations to the Fund for capitalization and operation costs.
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.
- Feb 11, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-156.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Feb 4, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jan 29, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 14, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Education and Workforce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Education and Workforce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Nov 13, 1997FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Young (AK) asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- 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.