Ojito Wilderness Act
Public Law 109-94 · S. 156 · 109th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Oct 26, 2005 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Pete Domenici
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.
Ojito Wilderness Act - (Sec. 3) Designates certain public land known as the Ojito Wilderness in New Mexico ( wilderness area) as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Requires that the wilderness area be managed by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the Wilderness Act. Provides for the addition of specified land in New Mexico and any land within the boundaries of the wilderness area to the wilderness area if such land is acquired by the federal government.
Permits grazing of livestock in the wilderness area where grazing rights were established before the enactment of this Act. Prohibits anything in this Act from: (1) affecting the jurisdiction or responsibilities of New Mexico with respect to fish and wildlife in the state; (2) constituting a reservation by the United States of any water or water rights with respect to the land designated as wilderness by this Act; (3) affecting any water rights in the state existing on the date of enactment of this Act, including any water rights held by the United States; (4) establishing a precedent with regard to any future wilderness designations; or (5) affecting the interpretation of, or any designation made pursuant to, any other Act.
Declares that the Secretary shall follow the procedural and substantive requirements of the laws of the state in order to obtain and hold any water rights not in existence on enactment of this Act respecting the wilderness area.
Prohibits the President, any other U.S. officer, employee, or agent from funding, assisting, authorizing, or issuing a license or permit for the development of any new water resource facility (as defined by this Act) within the wilderness area.
Directs the Secretary to seek an exchange for state land within the boundaries of the wilderness area within three years after enactment.
(Sec. 4) Requires the Secretary to hold in trust certain public lands for the Pueblo of Zia (Pueblo) and include such lands as part of the Pueblo's Reservation. Requires the Pueblo to pay the Secretary the fair market value (determined by an appraisal) of such public lands placed in trust. Authorizes the Secretary to use funds paid by the Pueblo to acquire non-federal lands in New Mexico.
Preserves public access to Pueblo trust lands for recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, paleontological, and conservation uses.
Authorizes a civil action in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico to enforce right of public access.
Preserves existing rights-of-way in the trust lands. Requires the Pueblo to grant any reasonable request for rights-of-way for utilities and pipelines in such lands.
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
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 362Identical billRelated bill
Ojito Wilderness 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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Oct 26, 2005Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-94.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 19, 2005FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Oct 18, 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 S. 156.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mrs. Musgrave moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Jul 27, 2005FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Jul 26, 2005FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Feb 28, 2005CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 24.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici with amendments. With written report No. 109-13.
- Feb 9, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
- Jan 25, 2005CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S483)
- 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.
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.