InsideGov
Congress · Laws

A bill to change the name of the Palmetto Bend Reservoir on the Navidad River in Texas to Lake Texana.

Public Law 96-172 · H.R. 2771 · 96th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 29, 1979 · Commemorations

Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Wyatt (D-TX-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.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Renames the Palmetto Bend Reservoir, Texas, as Lake Texana.

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.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.

  1. Dec 29, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  2. PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-172.
  3. Dec 24, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
  4. PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
  5. Dec 21, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
  6. Dec 20, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
  7. Dec 12, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  8. May 22, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  9. May 21, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
  10. May 14, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
  11. Mar 8, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  12. 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.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.