A bill to amend the Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956, as amended.
Public Law 94-181 · H.R. 6874 · 94th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Dec 27, 1975 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Rep. Harold Johnson (D-CA-1)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Manuel Luján
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.
Authorizes the use of loan funds, under the Small Reclamation Projects Act, for the purchase of existing facilities that may be useful in a water resource development plan, provided that the cost of such existing facilities represents less than 50 percent of the cost of the project.
Provides that the maximum allowable estimated total project cost of a proposal submitted during any given calendar year shall be determined by the Secretary of the Interior using the Bureau of Reclamation composite construction cost index.
Permits increases in existing loans to cover the escalation in construction costs.
Allows the maximum loan or grant under such Act to be two-thirds of the maximum project cost.
Authorizes $400,000,000 in appropriations for the small projects program.
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.
- Dec 27, 1975Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-181.
- Dec 17, 1975PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 16, 1975FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Dec 12, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 7, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Oct 6, 1975FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Sep 24, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 12, 1975CommitteeCommittee · 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.