A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to proceed with development of the WEB Pipeline, to provide for the study of South Dakota water projects to be developed in lieu of the Oahe and Pollock-Herreid irrigation projects, and to make available Missouri Basin pumping power to projects authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 to receive such power.
Public Law 97-273 · H.R. 4347 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 30, 1982 · Water Resources Development
Sponsor: Rep. Clint Roberts (R-SD-2)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Tom Daschle
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
Reauthorizes the WEB rural water development project, South Dakota.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to proceed with such project according to specified terms and to make available for immediate obligation any funds appropriated for such project for fiscal year 1981.
Amends the Rural Development Policy Act of 1980 to require the Secretary of the Interior to use funds appropriated under such Act to provide financial assistance to plan and develop the WEB rural water development project under the terms and conditions of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Agriculture, except to the extent such Act, rules, or regulations are inconsistent with the provisions of the Rural Development Policy Act of 1980.
Authorizes the Secretary to conduct feasibility investigations of the following Pick-Sloan Missouri River basin programs in South Dakota: (1) the Oahe unit, James Division; (2) the Garrison unit; and (3) the Pollock-Herreid unit.
Sets forth criteria to be considered by the Secretary in reporting such studies to Congress. Permits the Secretary to contract with the State to carry out such studies.
Authorizes the Secretary to cancel the master contract and participating and security contracts for the Oahe unit, initial stage. Requires that such actions be taken with the agreement of the Oahe Conservancy Subdistrict and the Spink and West Brown Irrigation Districts.
Authorizes the Secretary, in cooperation with the Department of Energy, to make available the Missouri River basin program pumping power to specified irrigation projects constructed in South Dakota by Indian tribes or by public entities. Allows such power to be made available to such additional irrigation projects as may be authorized by Congress.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the provisions of this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Agriculture Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Environment, Credit and Rural Development Subcommittee- Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources 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. 24 actions.
- Sep 30, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-273.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 29, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 23, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 19, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Aug 2, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 27, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 9, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 8, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- May 17, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 12, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 11, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 3, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
- Oct 27, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 15, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Environment, Credit and Rural Development Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Environment, Credit and Rural Development Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- Sep 9, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Environment, Credit and Rural Development Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- Aug 11, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 4, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Environment, Credit and Rural Development Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- Jul 30, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · 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.