An Act to provide for payments to local governments based upon the acreage of the National Wildlife Refuge System which is within their boundaries, and for other purposes.
Public Law 95-469 · H.R. 8394 · 95th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 17, 1978 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. William Steiger (R-WI-6)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Bo Ginn
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.
Amends the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act of 1935 to require the deposit of all revenues from the sale or disposition of salmonoid carcasses from National Fish Hatcheries in the refuge revenue sharing fund.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to make additional refuge revenue sharing payments, on a fiscal year basis, to each local government unit in which entitlement lands are located. Specifies the formulae for determining refuge revenue sharing payments to counties.
Includes Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands within the coverage of this Act by considering them counties for the purpose of distributing payments.
Directs the Secretary to appraise, before September 30, 1979, all fee areas for which payments were not previously authorized. Requires that all other fee areas be appraised within five years and in five year intervals thereafter, from the date of enactment of this Act.
Requires counties which receive payments under this Act with respect to any fee area or reserve area to distribute payments on a proportional basis to other units of local government within the county if these other units have incurred a loss or reduction of real property tax revenues due to the acquisition of lands by the United States for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Provides that reserve areas shall be deemed "entitlement lands" for the purpose of administering the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Act of 1976.
Includes lands where semiactive or inactive Army installations are located in the definition of "entitlement lands", effective October 1, 1978. Excludes Army industrial installations from such definition.
Permits payments for land acquired by State or local governments from private parties for donation to the Federal Government and which is so donated within eight years of acquisition, beginning fiscal year 1979.
Authorizes payments to local government units in Alaska located outside organized boroughs which act as collecting and distributing agencies for real property taxes, beginning fiscal year 1979.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · referred to, reported by
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 17, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-469.
- Oct 6, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Oct 5, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 29, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Sep 25, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Aug 31, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jun 7, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jun 6, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #414 (340-28).House roll call 414
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- May 15, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Jul 18, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries 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.