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Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act

Public Law 109-156 · S. 1310 · 109th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 30, 2005 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. Arlen Specter

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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Improvement Act - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to grant an easement to the Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation to enlarge the diameter of a specified natural gas pipeline from 14 inches to not more than 20 inches, consistent with the recreational values and protection of the resources of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Pennsylvania.

Authorizes the Superintendent of the Recreation Area to issue a permit to the Corporation for the use of the Recreation Area in accordance with specified procedural requirements for the temporary areas required for the construction of the enlarged pipeline.

Requires the Corporation to comply with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) certification requirements for the increase in pipeline size.

Prohibits the Secretary from granting additional increases in the diameter of, or easements for, the pipeline within the boundary of the Recreation Area after the date of enactment of this Act.

Authorizes the Attorney General, at the Secretary's request, to bring against the Corporation a civil action for damages and response costs if the Corporation violates easement or permit provisions, fails to submit or timely implement an approved restoration and mitigation plan, or the violation or failure destroys, results in the loss of, or injures park system resources.

Amends the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 to modify the effective date of the prohibition against the use of Highway 209 within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area by certain commercial vehicles. Changes such date from noon on September 30, 2005, to the earlier of the date on which a feasible alternative is available, or noon of September 30, 2015.

Increases from $25 to $40 the maximum commercial use fee which the Secretary is required to collect from commercial vehicles until the effective date of the prohibition.

Extends the National Park System Advisory Board until January 1, 2007.

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.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 3124Related bill

    Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Natural Gas Pipeline Enlargement Act

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

  1. Dec 30, 2005Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-156.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 22, 2005FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 19, 2005FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · Mr. Pombo asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
  7. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  8. OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
  9. Dec 17, 2005FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  10. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  11. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  12. Dec 16, 2005FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
  13. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  14. Dec 8, 2005CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 312.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici under authority of the order of the Senate of 11/18/2005 with amendments and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 109-194.
  16. Nov 16, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
  17. Sep 22, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 109-213.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  19. Jun 24, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
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.

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Amendments

2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 2684SenateSen. Pete DomeniciR-NM· offered Dec 16, 2005Agreed to

    To amend the title.

    Dec 16, 2005: Amendment SA 2684 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to

  • S.Amdt. 2683SenateSen. Pete DomeniciR-NM· offered Dec 16, 2005Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Dec 16, 2005: Amendment SA 2683 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.