An Act to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and for other purposes.
Public Law 94-486 · S. 1506 · 94th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Oct 12, 1976 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. Lee Metcalf (D-MT)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateRecorded vote: 74 yea, 0 nay74–0
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: Flathead, Montana= - Designates a specified segment of the Flathead River, Montana, as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
=Title II: Missouri, Montana= - Designates a specified segment of the Missouri River in Montana as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Limits the lands which may be included within, and acquired for, such park, and details guidelines relating to park administration.
=Title III: Obed, Tennessee= - Designates a specified segment of the Obed River, Tennessee, as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
=Title IV: Housatonic, Connecticut= - Designates a specified segment of the Housatonic River in Connecticut as a potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
=Title V: Section IV Amendment= - Repeals the provisions in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act prohibiting the addition of a river or portion of a river to the National Wild and Scenic River System until the close of the full session of the appropriate State legislature that begins following the submission of any recommendation to the President with respect to such additon.
=Title VI: Feather, California= - Redefines the boundaries of the portion of the Feather River, California, which is a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
=Title VII: Piedra, Colorado= - Removes tributaries and headwaters on national forest lands from the designation as a potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
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. 14 actions.
- Oct 12, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-486.
- Oct 1, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 28, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments, roll call #663 (74-0).Senate roll call 663
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendments, roll call #663 (74-0).Senate roll call 663
- Sep 27, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 15422.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Dec 8, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Dec 4, 1975FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Dec 1, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 23, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
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.