National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Improvement Act of 2010
Public Law 111-357 · H.R. 4973 · 111th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jan 4, 2011 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD-1)
Cosponsors (3): Rep. Mike Ross, Rep. Lois Capps,
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.
National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Improvement Act of 2010 - Amends the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (the Act) to authorize appropriations for FY2011-FY2014 to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out certain activities and services related to fish and wildlife, including for expenses related to gift acceptance, volunteer services, community partnership projects and programs, and refuge education programs.
Amends the National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary, through the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to carry out a National Volunteer Coordination Program within the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Requires the Director to: (1) publish a national strategy for the coordination and utilization of volunteers within the System; and (2) provide at least one regional volunteer coordinator for each Service region to implement such strategy. Makes such coordinators responsible for assisting partner organizations in implementing volunteer projects and activities under cooperative agreements the Secretary may enter into pursuant to the Act.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the National Volunteer Coordination Program through FY2014.
Requires the Secretary to submit a report to Congress that: (1) evaluates the accomplishments of the volunteer program, the community partnerships program, and the refuge education programs authorized under the Act, and of the National Volunteer Coordination Program and the national strategy; and (2) makes recommendations for improving the effectiveness of such programs.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs 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.
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. 25 actions.
- Jan 4, 2011Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-357.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 28, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 17, 2010FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Dec 14, 2010CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 693.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer without amendment. With written report No. 111-366.
- Nov 30, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jul 14, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Jul 13, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4973.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Bordallo moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 304.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 111-531.
- Jun 16, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife Discharged.
- May 6, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Hearings Held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 31, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.
- Mar 25, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Natural 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.