To amend Public Law 89-366 to allow for an adjustment in the number of free roaming horses permitted in Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Public Law 109-117 · H.R. 126 · 109th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 1, 2005 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC-3)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- 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.
Increases from 100 to a minimum of 110 the number of free roaming horses the Secretary of the Interior is required to permit in Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina, with a target population of between 120 and 130. Prohibits the Secretary from removing, assisting in, or permitting the removal of any free roaming horses from Federal lands, within the boundaries of the seashore unless removal is carried out as part of a plan to maintain the viability of the herd. Prohibits anything in such law from being construed to require the Secretary to replace horses or otherwise increase the number of horses within such boundaries where the herd numbers fall below 110 (currently, 100) as a result of natural causes, including, but not limited to, disease or natural disasters.
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.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Dec 1, 2005Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-117.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 28, 2005FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 16, 2005FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Oct 19, 2005CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 246.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici without amendment. With written report No. 109-154.
- Apr 28, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 15, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Mar 14, 2005FloorFloor · 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.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 126.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Jones (NC) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Feb 3, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.
- Jan 4, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Resources.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.