A bill to amend the Water Bank Act for the purposes of authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to adjust payment rates with respect to initial conservation agreements and to designate certain areas as wetlands, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-182 · H.R. 2043 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jan 2, 1980 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN-8)
Cosponsors (15): Rep. John Dingell, Rep. Mark Andrews,
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 Water Bank Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture to reexamine payment rates under wetland conservation agreements at the beginning of the fifth year of any ten-year initial or renewal period and to make needed annual adjustments in such rates.
Expands the scope of the types of wetlands covered by such Act.
Provides that annual adjustments in water bank contract payments are available only as provided in advance by appropriation acts.
Increases, beginning in fiscal year 1981, the amount of authorized program funding and limits the amount which may be expended in any one state.
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.
- Jan 2, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-182.
- Dec 24, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Dec 21, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 20, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment.
- Dec 18, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 837.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Jul 10, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Jul 9, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- May 15, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Feb 8, 1979CommitteeCommittee · 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.