A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to release on behalf of the United States a reversionary interest in certain land previously conveyed to the State of Connecticut.
Public Law 97-311 · H.R. 6422 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 14, 1982 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D-CT-2)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to release the condition in the conveyance of certain land in Sterling, Connecticut, to the State of Connecticut which restricts the use of such land to public purposes under penalty of reversion to the United States. Makes inapplicable to this Act the provision of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act which prohibits the Secretary from selling, exchanging, leasing, or otherwise disposing of property to other than public authorities. Conditions such release upon the State's agreement not to sell, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of such land: (1) except to a certain cemetery, exclusively for its expansion; and (2) unless the proceeds from such disposal are held in an account open to inspection by the Secretary and used for public purposes.
Reserves the mineral interests in such lands to the United States. Makes the release granted under this Act applicable so long as the land is used for cemetery purposes.
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.
- Oct 14, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-311.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 2, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 29, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Sep 22, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Sep 15, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Sep 14, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Sep 13, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Aug 19, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
- Jul 29, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
- May 19, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture 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.