A bill to grant the consent of the United States to the Red River Compact among the States of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
Public Law 96-564 · S. 2227 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 22, 1980 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Russell Long (D-LA)
Cosponsors (7): Sen. John Johnston, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen,
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.
Interstate Compact - Grants congressional consent to the Red River Compact among the States of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, which concerns the apportionment of the water of the Red River and its tributaries.
Waives the soverign immunity of the United States in certain cases and controversies involving the construction of the application of the compact in which the United States is an indispensable party. Limits such waiver to case or controversies in the U.S. Supreme Court or the U.S. district courts. Gives the U.S. district courts concurrent jurisdiction with the U.S. Supreme Court over such matters.
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. 13 actions.
- Dec 22, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-564.
- Dec 17, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 16, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 12, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- Dec 1, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 7206.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
- Sep 29, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Sep 24, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Sep 18, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Jan 28, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary 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.