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Dam Safety Act of 2006

Public Law 109-460 · S. 2735 · 109th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Dec 22, 2006 · Water Resources Development

Sponsor: Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. Daniel Akaka

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.

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Summary

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

Dam Safety Act of 2006 - Amends the National Dam Safety Program Act to require (currently, authorizes) the Secretary of the Army to maintain and update information on the inventory of dams in the United States, including any available information assessing each dam based on inspections completed by either a federal agency or a state dam safety agency.

Requires the strategic plan for dam safety prepared by the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish performance measures, in addition to goals, priorities, and target dates, toward effectively administering the Act to improve dam safety.

Requires a state dam safety program, to be eligible for assistance under such Act, to include: (1) the authority to require or perform periodic evaluations of all dams and reservoirs to the extent of the threat to human life and property in case of failure; and (2) the authority to issue notices to require owners of dams to install and monitor instrumentation.

Reauthorizes appropriations for the National Dam Safety Program, the National Dam Inventory, research, training, and staff.

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.

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 22, 2006Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-460.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 20, 2006FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 9, 2006FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2735.
  7. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  8. FloorFloor · Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  9. Dec 7, 2006FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  10. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  11. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  12. Dec 6, 2006FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  13. FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  14. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  15. Jul 10, 2006CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 511.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Inhofe with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 109-276.
  17. May 23, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  18. May 4, 2006CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4056-4057)
  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

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 5214SenateSen. Jim InhofeR-OK· offered Dec 6, 2006Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Dec 6, 2006: Amendment SA 5214 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.