National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998
Public Law 105-242 · H.R. 1856 · 105th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 5, 1998 · Animals
Sponsor: Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ-3)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. George Nethercutt
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.
National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to provide that any gift or bequest made for the benefit of a particular national wildlife refuge or complex of refuges shall be disbursed only for such refuge's or refuges' benefit. Authorizes Federal matching funds.
(Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to conduct a volunteer coordinator pilot project in at least two refuges (but not more than 20 nationwide) in each United States Fish and Wildlife Service region. Authorizes appropriations. Authorizes the Secretary and the Secretary of Commerce to provide volunteers in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with awards and recognition, including nominal cash awards.
Authorizes the Secretary to establish a Senior Volunteer Corps.
(Sec. 5) Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with community partnership organizations (private, corporate, academic, or State or local) to implement refuge related programs. Authorizes Federal matching funds.
(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to develop guidance for, and programs of, refuge education.
(Sec. 7) Authorizes appropriations.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Oversight and Investigations 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. 24 actions.
- Oct 5, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-242.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 24, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 18, 1998Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Saxton asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendments.
- Sep 11, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Amendment SP 3578 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jul 28, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jul 22, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Nov 5, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Nov 4, 1997FloorFloor · 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 · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Faleomavaega objected to the Yea - Nay 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. Saxton moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Oct 21, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 1, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 31, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 18, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 16, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 10, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- 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.