InsideGov
Congress · Laws

Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act

Public Law 113-20 · H.R. 254 · 113th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jul 18, 2013 · Energy

Sponsor: Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT-3)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 400 yea, 4 nay400–4
  • 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.

Report a correction

Summary

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

Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act - Declares that, in order to facilitate hydropower development on the Diamond Fork System (Utah), a certain amount of reimbursable costs allocated to project power in the Power Appendix of the October 2004 Supplement to the 1988 Bonneville Unit Definite Plan Report shall be considered final costs, as well as specified costs in excess of the total maximum repayment obligation, subject to the same terms and conditions.

States that: (1) this Act does not obligate the Western Area Power Administration to purchase or market any of the power produced by the Diamond Fork power plant; and (2) none of the costs associated with development of transmission facilities to transmit power from the Diamond Fork power plant shall be assigned to power for the purpose of Colorado River Storage Project ratemaking.

Prohibits any hydroelectric power generation or transmission facility on the Diamond Fork System from being financed or refinanced with any obligation: (1) whose interest enjoys federal tax-exempt status; or (2) which enjoys certain federal tax credits.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior to report to certain congressional committees if hydropower production on the Diamond Fork System has not commenced 24 months after enactment of this Act, stating the reasons such production has not commenced, and presenting a detailed timeline for future hydropower production.

Prohibits the use of Western Area Power Administration borrowing authority under the Hoover Power Plant Act of 1984 to fund any study or construction of transmission facilities developed as a result of this Act.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 113th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 400 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

400 yea4 nay27 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(181)

Republicans who voted yea(219)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 89 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

Report a correction

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.

Report a correction

Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 26Identical billRelated bill

    Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation 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.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.

  1. Jul 18, 2013Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 113-20.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jul 12, 2013FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Jul 11, 2013FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Jul 10, 2013FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. Apr 10, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  7. Apr 9, 2013FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 400 - 4 (Roll no. 90).House roll call 90
  9. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  10. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  11. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 254.
  12. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  13. FloorFloor · Mr. Wittman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  14. CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 13.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Budget discharged.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 113-25, Part I.
  17. Mar 20, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Water and Power Discharged.
  20. Mar 5, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Hearings Held.
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  22. Jan 31, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Water and Power.
  23. Jan 15, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  24. 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.

Report a correction

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.

Report a correction

Official record

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