A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain facilities of the Minidoka project to the Burley Irrigation District, and for other purposes.
Public Law 105-351 · S. 538 · 105th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 3, 1998 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Dirk Kempthorne
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.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey to Burley Irrigation District, by quitclaim deed or patent, acquired lands, easements, and rights-of-way of the Southside Pumping Division of the Minidoka Project, Idaho, together with improvements or appurtenances to the land or used for the delivery of water from the headworks of the Southside Canal at the Minidoka Dam and reservoir to the land within the District, including all facilities used in conjunction with the Division (including the electric transmission lines used for the operation of the pumping facilities of the Project for which allocable construction costs have been fully repaid). Requires the first $80,000 in administrative costs of such transfer and related activities to be equally shared between the United States and the District, with any additional adminstrative costs to be paid by the United States.
Requires the Secretary to transfer to the District all natural flow, waste, seepage, return flow and groundwater rights held by the United States: (1) for the benefit of the Project or the District; (2) for use on the land within the District; and (3) which are set forth in contracts between the United States and the District or in the Foster decree.
Directs the Secretary to provide an allocation of storage space in Minidoka, American Falls, and Palisades reservoirs to the District in accordance with the terms of specified contracts, subject to the requirement that the District continue to assume its allocable costs of operation and maintenance associated with such storage facilities.
Requires the Secretary to continue to provide the District with project reserve power from specified power plants.
States that this Act shall not affect the right of Minidoka Irrigation District to joint use of the gravity portion of the Southside Canal.
Requires the Secretary to complete the transfer no later than two years after the enactment of this Act. Requires a report from the Secretary to specified congressional committees on the status of the transfer, any transfer obstacles, and the anticipated transfer completion date.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Water and Power 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. 16 actions.
- Nov 3, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-351.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 22, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 12, 1998FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Hansen asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- Jun 25, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Nov 3, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 22, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 10, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water and Power Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 10, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Water and Power Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 9, 1997CommitteeCommittee · 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.