A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to design and construct a gunite lining on certain reaches of the Bessemer Ditch in the vicinity of Pueblo, Colorado, to prevent or reduce seepage damage on adjacent properties, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-309 · S. 2546 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jul 9, 1980 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Sen. William Armstrong (R-CO)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Gary Hart
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.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to design and construct a gunite lining on certain reaches of the Bessemer Ditch in the vicinity of Pueblo, Colorado, to prevent or reduce seepage damage on adjacent properties. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed as establishing Federal liability.
Includes the costs of such works as capital costs of the Pueblo Dam and Reservoir project.
Specifies that the Bessemer Irrigating Ditch Company, which owns, operates, and maintains the Bessemer Ditch, shall be responsible for maintaining or replacing the completed gunite lining authorized by this Act.
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. 12 actions.
- Jul 9, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-309.
- Jun 30, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jun 27, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- May 29, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- May 22, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 15, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 3, 1980CommitteeCommittee · 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.