An Act to provide for increases in appropriation ceilings and boundary changes in certain units of the National Park System, to authorize appropriations for additional costs of land acquisition for the National Park System, and for other purposes.
Public Law 93-477 · H.R. 14217 · 93rd Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Oct 26, 1974 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Roy Taylor (D-NC-11)
Cosponsors (24): Rep. Joe Skubitz, Rep. James Haley,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
=Title I: Acquisition Ceiling Increases= - Provides for increases in appropriation ceilings for the acquisition of specified units of the National Park System.
=Title II: Development Ceiling Increases= - Increases the limitations on appropriations for development of specified units of the National Park System.
=Title III: Boundary Changes= - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to revise the boundaries of specified units of the National Park System.
=Title IV: Miscellaneous Provisions= - Authorizes the Secretary to acquire by donation, purchase, or exchange and to develop specified National Park lands.
Authorizes to be appropriated to the Secretary up to $100,000 to conduct studies to determine the cause and extent of the damage to the foundation of the historic structures of the San Juan National Historic Site.
Authorizes to be appropriated up to $8,400,000, in addition to available funds, for moving costs, relocation benefits, and other expenses incurred pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970.
Provides that whenever an owner of property, to be acquisitioned to the National Park System, elects to retain a right of use and occupancy, such owner shall be deemed to have waived the relocation benefits and displaced person status accorded by the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970.
Authorizes appropriations for the acquisition and development of lands for Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina.
Authorizes and Directs the Secretary to undertake a study of the most feasible and suitable means of preserving and interpreting for the benefit of the public the historic and natural resources of the Ohio and Erie Canal in Ohio.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the purposes of this Act.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Oct 26, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-477.
- Oct 17, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 16, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments to Senate amendments.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to certain Senate amendments with an amendment.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to certain Senate amendments.
- Oct 8, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Oct 4, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 20, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 19, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- Aug 14, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 11, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.