An act to provide for the establishment of the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Coos County, State of Oregon, and for other purposes.
Public Law 97-137 · H.R. 2241 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 29, 1981 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. James Weaver (D-OR-4)
Cosponsors (5): Rep. Les AuCoin, Rep. Ron Wyden,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Title I: Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Permits the Secretary to utilize such additional statutory authority as may be available for: (1) the development of outdoor recreation opportunities compatible with the wildlife resources of the refuge; and (2) interpretive education.
Authorizes appropriations beginning in fiscal year 1983 for the refuge.
Title II: Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area - Requires the Secretary of the Interior to designate land and water in Kentucky and Indiana in order to establish the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area.
Requires the Secretary of the Army to promulgate regulations which include prohibitions on all hunting, vandalism, and the dumping of refuse within the wildlife conservation area.
Authorizes appropriations beginning in fiscal year 1983 to carry out this title.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee
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. 15 actions.
- Dec 29, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-137.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 22, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 16, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Dec 15, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Dec 9, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Dec 7, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Oct 15, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Mar 3, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Mar 2, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries 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.