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Keep America's Refuges Operational Act

Public Law 115-168 · H.R. 3979 · 115th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Apr 23, 2018 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8)

Cosponsors (17): Rep. Robert Wittman,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 371 yea, 14 nay371–14
  • SenateVoice vote
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.

Keep America's Refuges Operational Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize through FY2022: (1) the volunteer services, community partnerships, and refuge education programs of the National Wildlife Refuge System; and (2) provisions authorizing the Department of the Interior to accept and use gifts, devises, or bequests of real and personal property for the benefit of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the performance of its activities and services.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 371 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

371 yea14 nay46 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(169)

Republicans who voted yea(202)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 686 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.

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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.

  • S. 1940Identical bill

    Keep America's Refuges Operational 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. 25 actions.

  1. Apr 23, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-168.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Apr 11, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Apr 10, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Apr 9, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Dec 19, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  7. Dec 18, 2017FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 371 - 14 (Roll no. 687).House roll call 687
  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. 3979.
  12. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  13. FloorFloor · Mr. Wittman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  14. Dec 5, 2017CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 324.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 115-438.
  16. Nov 30, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  18. Nov 29, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Federal Lands Discharged.
  20. Nov 15, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Hearings Held.
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  22. Oct 12, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
  23. Oct 11, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H7959)
  24. Oct 5, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
  25. 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.

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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.

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Official record

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