An Act to validate certain land conveyances, and for other purposes.
Public Law 95-586 · H.R. 7971 · 95th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Nov 3, 1978 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. John McFall (D-CA-14)
Cosponsors: None
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: To Validate the Conveyance of Certain Land in the State of California by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company= - Validates specified conveyances of specified land in the State of California by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, as far as any interest of the United States in such land is concerned.
=Title II: To Confirm a Conveyance of Certain Real Property by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company to M. L. Wicks= - Confirms a conveyance of certain real property, with respect to all interests of the United States in its surface rights, by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company to a certain individual.
Retains the right-of-way granted to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company by a certain Act.
Reserves all oil, coal, or other minerals in such land to the United States.
=Title III: To Provide for the Conveyance of Certain Public Lands in Montana to the Occupants of the Land= - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey all right, title and interest (except mineral rights) in certain public lands in Montana to specified occupants of such lands.
Provides that acceptance of such conveyance by such occupants or their successors in interests shall constitute a waiver and release by them of all claims against the United States arising out of the operation, maintenance, or construction of the Canyon Ferry Unit, Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin program.
=Title IV: To Authorize the Secretary of the Interior to Convey all Right Title, and Interest of the United States in and to a Tract of Land Located in the Fairbanks Recording District, State of Alaska, to the Fairbanks North Star Borough= - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to a specified tract of land located in the Fairbanks Recording District, Alaska, to the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
=Title V: Providing for Reinstatement and Validation of United States Oil and Gas Leases Numbered U-12871, U-12872, U-12874, U-12875, U-12876, U-12877, U-12878, U-12881, and U-13666= - Stipulates that certain United States oil and gas leases shall be held not to have been terminated by operation of law.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to give notice to the last record holder of certain oil and gas leases of the amount of unpaid rental then accrued under said leases. Provides that such record holder shall pay such amount to the Secretary. Stipulates that if such rent is not paid, the provisions of this title shall be terminated.
=Title VI: For the Relief of Marian Law Shale Hollaway, Adeline Mary Gill Charles, and Eliza Shale Carstens= - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to pay three individuals in full settlement of such individuals' claims against the United States.
Prohibits the payment of more than ten percent of such appropriation to any agent or attorney for services rendered in connection with such claims. Provides for a fine not to exceed $1,000 for violation of such prohibition.
=Title VII: Gospel-Hump Area Boundary Changes= - Changes the map references for the Gospel-Hump area of Idaho from "January 1978" to "September 1978.
=Title VIII: Kalmiopsis Wilderness Map Designation= - Amends the Endangered American Wilderness Act to adjust the northern boundary of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness Area, Oregon.
=Title IX: Fryingpan-Arkansas Reclamation Project= - Directs that the Fryingpan - Arkansas Federal reclamation project be carried out in accordance with the final environmental statement for such project and with those laws of Colorado relating to the establishment of minimum streamflows for the reasonable protection of the environment.
Establishes maximum rates for project diversions.
=Title X: To Convey Certain Geothermal Resources to the City of Boise, Idaho= - Authorizes and directs that the rights to geothermal resources, presently vested in the United States in certain real property, be transferred by the Secretary of the Interior in fee to the City of Boise, Idaho, upon payment by such city of the fair market value of the rights conveyed.
Allows the United States access for exploration of mineral resources not conveyed to the City.
=Title XI: To Add Certain Lands to the Targhee National Forest, Idaho= - Modifies the boundaries of the Targhee National Forest in Idaho to add certain lands.
=Title XII: Grand Canyon National Park= - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to sell by contract water located within Grand Canyon National Park for the Use of customers within Tusayan, Arizona, to a certain nonprofit entity authorized by State law to receive and distribute water within such city.
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.
- Nov 3, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-586.
- Oct 25, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 14, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment.
- Oct 12, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Oct 6, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 19, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 18, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Mar 30, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 22, 1977CommitteeCommittee · 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.