A bill to provide for the orderly disposal of certain Federal lands in Nevada and for the acquisition of certain other lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-586 · H.R. 7306 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 23, 1980 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. James Santini (D-NV)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Phillip Burton
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.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to dispose of specified lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management in Clark County, Nevada. Requires the Secretary and the affected local governmental jurisdictions to jointly develop regulations and select lands to be offered for sale.
Sets forth the formula for allocating the revenues from such sales to the Treasury of the United States, the State of Nevada, the county or municipality within the boundaries of which such land sale occurred, and to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to make annual payments to local governments within such areas for water pollution control, soil erosion mitigation, or acquisition of lands within the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, with the concurrence of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, to acquire specified unimproved, environmentally sensitive land to be administered as part of the United States National Forest System or, if unsuitable for administration as such, to be transferred to a unit of State or local government with specified restrictions. Permits the acquisition of specified portions of the Lake Tahoe Basin if such lands are being used, or a threat exists that they will be used, in a manner detrimental to the environmental quality of the Basin. Prohibits the acquisition of any detached single-family residential dwelling being used as such. Permits the owners of any improved property which contains a detached single family residential dwelling acquired by the Secretary to retain a right of use and occupancy for noncommercial residential purposes for a specified period. Requires the Secretary to pay to the owner the full market value of the rights acquired.
Authorizes appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for fiscal years 1982 and 1983 to carry out the purposes of this Act. Authorizes additional appropriations in an amount equal to the amount of revenue obtained from the sale of federally-owned lands in Clark County, Nevada.
Repeals the designation of the Mar-A-Lago National Historic Site, Palm Beach, Florida. Designates such site as the Mar-A-Lago National Historic Landmark. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer such property to the Marjorie Merriweather Post Foundation.
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. 14 actions.
- Dec 23, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-586.
- Dec 11, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 10, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 5, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Dec 4, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Nov 21, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 10, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 8, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- May 16, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 8, 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.