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A bill to authorize the generation of electrical power at Palo Verde Irrigation District Diversion Dam, California.

Public Law 97-41 · S. 875 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 14, 1981 · Energy

Sponsor: Sen. Samuel Hayakawa (R-CA)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. Alan Cranston

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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Grants to the Palo Verde Irrigation District, California, the exclusive right to use the Palo Verde Irrigation District Diversion Dam for the generation of electric power pursuant to a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Reserves to the United States the exclusive right to use such dam without cost for electric power generation if the district relinquishes its right with respect to such dam. Makes the division between the United States and the district of any hydroelectric power developed by the United States at such dam subject to negotiation prior to construction of any powerplant.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Aug 14, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-41.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Aug 5, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Aug 4, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
  5. Jul 30, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
  6. Jul 22, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
  7. Jul 14, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  10. Jun 3, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Water, Power and Offshore Energy Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  11. May 18, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  12. May 14, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  13. May 8, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  14. May 4, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  15. Apr 28, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water and Power Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  16. Apr 2, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Water and Power Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  18. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.