An act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to engage in a feasibility study.
Public Law 96-162 · S. 585 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 28, 1979 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Sen. Scoop Jackson (D-WA)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Warren Magnuson
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.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a feasibility study of the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project, Washington, which shall include an analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey of the Yakima River Basin water-supply data.
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 28, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-162.
- Dec 20, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 19, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 18, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- Dec 10, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 2757.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 25, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 23, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Jul 16, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 8, 1979CommitteeCommittee · 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.