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Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2018

Public Law 115-440 · S. 1023 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jan 14, 2019 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)

Cosponsors (9): Sen. Richard Burr,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 332 yea, 43 nay332–43
  • 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.

Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2018

This bill reauthorizes the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 through FY 2020 and expands the Act to include coral reefs as well as tropical forests. The bill also changes the name of the Act to the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act of 1998.

The bill authorizes to be appropriated funds for the Act's debt-for-nature swaps and debt buyback programs through FY 2020. Such programs convert reduce or convert debt obligations from eligible countries to the United States into funding for nature conservation and protection efforts in that country. The Tropical Forest Facility, an entity that administers the programs, shall be renamed the Conservation Facility.

The bill modifies the administration of agreements signed between the United States and each country that participate in the debt reduction programs. The administering body for each country that disperses grants under the Act shall have at least one U.S.-appointed individual serving in an official capacity. It also modifies the additional approval requirements for larger grants and defines such grants as those of more than $250,000. Currently, grants of more than $100,000 are subject to additional approval requirements.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 332 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

332 yea43 nay57 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(175)

Republicans who voted yea(157)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1195 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.

  • H.R. 6982Related bill

    Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2018

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. 21 actions.

  1. Jan 14, 2019Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-440.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jan 2, 2019FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 21, 2018FloorFloor · 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 the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 332 - 43 (Roll no. 488).House roll call 488
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. 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.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1023.
  9. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Royce (CA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  11. Dec 20, 2018FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  12. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  13. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  14. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  15. FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  16. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  17. Jul 30, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 544.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Corker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
  19. Jul 26, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  20. May 3, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  21. 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. 4174SenateSen. Rob PortmanR-OH· offered Dec 20, 2018Agreed to

    To modify the authorization of appropriations.

    Dec 20, 2018: Amendment SA 4174 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.