A bill to designate certain lands of the Fire Island National Seashore as the "Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness" and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-585 · H.R. 7814 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 23, 1980 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. William Carney (R-NY-1)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Norman Lent, Rep. Edwin Forsythe
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.
Designates specified lands in the Fire Island National Seashore, New York, as the Fire Island Wilderness.
Declares that lands which represent potential wilderness additions, upon publication in the Federal Register of a notice by the Secretary of the Interior that all uses prohibited thereon by the Wilderness Act have ceased, shall be designated as wilderness. Directs the Secretary pending such designation, to administer such lands in such manner as to preserve their wilderness or potential wilderness character.
Specifies that wilderness designation shall not preclude the repair of beaches that occur in the wilderness area, in order to prevent loss of life, flooding, and other severe economic physical damage to the Great South Bay and surrounding areas.
Limits, to $500,000, the amount of funds available for development in the Fire Island National Seashore.
Declares that the authority to enter into contracts, to incur obligations, or to make payments under this Act shall be effective only to the extent, and in such amounts as are provided in advance in appropriation Acts.
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.
- Dec 23, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-585.
- Dec 15, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 13, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Dec 10, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 24, 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.