An act to provide for the exchange of certain Federal coal leases in the State of New Mexico for other Federal coal leases in that State.
Public Law 96-475 · H.R. 6816 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 19, 1980 · Energy
Sponsor: Rep. Harold Runnels (D-NM-2)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Manuel Luján
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.
(House agreed to Senate amendments with amendments)
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to issue coal leases on other Federal lands in the State of New Mexico to the owner or owners of specified Federal coal leases upon surrender of such leases, within 30 months of enactment.
Describes the area in which the new leases will be issued.
Provides that the leases issued shall be equal in value to the leases surrendered, but authorizes the Secretary to receive or pay a cash amount of up to 25 percent of the value of such leases in order to equalize the exchange, if they are unavoidably not of equal value.
States that the new leases are to contain the same terms and conditions as the leases surrendered as of the date of the exchange.
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.
- Oct 19, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-475.
- Oct 10, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 9, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Oct 8, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Oct 1, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Sep 30, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment with amendments.
- Sep 16, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 1455.
- Aug 18, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- Jul 29, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 13, 1980CommitteeCommittee · 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.