A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue certain patents under the Color of Title Act.
Public Law 96-521 · H.R. 6211 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 12, 1980 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Manuel Luján (R-NM-1)
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.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue a patent pursuant to the Color of Title Act for lands within the Rio Grande Occupancy Resolution Program Area, New Mexico, to any applicant who would qualify for such patent but for the fact that the lands claimed are under a withdrawal order, if the Secretary and the agency for which such withdrawn was made determine that such withdrawal is no longer needed or that termination of the withdrawal would not adversely affect any Federal program. Requires the Secretary, within two year after enactment of this Act, to make such a determination regarding all withdrawals of lands in such area.
Exempts lands withdrawn for Indian use from the provisions of this Act.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. 11 actions.
- Dec 12, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-521.
- Dec 3, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 1, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- Dec 20, 1979CommitteeCommittee · 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.