Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Wilderness Act of 1980
Public Law 96-476 · S. 3072 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 19, 1980 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. John Melcher (D-MT)
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Wilderness Act of 1980 - Designates specified lands within the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area in Montana as wilderness areas which shall be known as the Rattlesnake Wilderness and administered by the Secretary of Agriculture.
Establishes the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area, Montana.
Authorizes and directs the Secretary to acquire with donated or appropriated funds, by exchange, gift, or purchase, such non-Federal lands, interests, or other property within the boundaries of the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Rattlesnake Wilderness.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, to consider and consummate an exchange with the owner of the private lands or interests within or contiguous to the boundaries of the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area and Rattlesnake Wilderness, by which the Secretary of the Interior may accept conveyance to title to these private lands and in exchange issue bidding rights that may be exercised in competitive coal lease sales, or in coal lease modifications, or both. Specifies that any lands so acquired shall become national forest lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture.
Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed to require any owner of the lands within or contiguous to the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area or Rattlesnake Wilderness to accept coal lease bidding rights in exchange for title to those private lands.
Permits such coal lease bidding rights to be exercised as payment of bonus or other payment required of the successful bidder for a competitive coal lease, or required of an applicant for a coal lease modification. Specifies that such bidding rights shall equal the fair market value of the private lands or interests therein conveyed in exchange for their issuance. Permits the holder of the bidding rights, if for any reason the bidding rights issued in an exchange under this Act have not been exercised within three years from the date of enactment of this Act, to use the outstanding bidding rights as a credit against any royalty, rental, or advance royalty payments owed to the United States on any Federal coal lease(s) it may then hold. Declares that it is the intent of Congress that the exchange of bidding rights for the private lands or interests therein authorized by this Act shall occur within three years of the date of enactment of this Act.
States the intent of Congress that the exchange of lands involving Burlington Northern, Inc. and the Regional Forester of the United States Forest Service, Region 1, in accordance with a specified agreement, shall occur within three years of the date of enactment of this Act.
Declares that nothing in this Act shall affect or diminish any water right which is vested under either State or Federal law at the time of enactment of this Act, nor the rights of the owner of such water right to the customary and usual access.
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. 11 actions.
- Oct 19, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-476.
- Oct 10, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 9, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Oct 8, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Oct 2, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Oct 1, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Sep 25, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 26, 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.