An act to establish a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Public Law 98-244 · H.R. 2809 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Mar 26, 1984 · Animals
Sponsor: Rep. John Breaux (D-LA-7)
Cosponsors (27): Rep. Edwin Forsythe, Rep. John Seiberling,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- 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.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act - Establishes the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (the Foundation). States that the Foundation is a charitable and nonprofit corporation and is not an agency or establishment of the United States and that the purposes of the Foundation are: (1) to encourage, accept, and administer private gifts of property for the benefit of the activities and services of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and (2) to undertake and conduct activities to further the conservation and management of U.S. fish, wildlife, and plant resources.
Provides for a Board of Directors, which shall serve without pay, to govern the Foundation which shall, to the extent practicable, represent diverse points of view relating to fish and wildlife.
States that the Foundation shall have perpetual succession.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide personnel facilities, and other administrative services to the Foundation for five years.
Authorizes the Secretary to accept, without regard to the civil service classification laws, the services of the Foundation, the Board, and the officers and employees of the Board, without compensation from the Department of the Interior, as volunteers.
Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) audits; (2) reports; and (3) relief with respect to certain Foundation acts or failure to act.
Exempts the United States from liability for any debts, defaults, acts, or omissions of the Foundation.
States that Congress expressly reserves the right to appeal or amend this Act at any time.
Authorizes appropriations for ten years to the Department of the Interior which shall be made available to the Foundation: (1) to match, on a one-for-one basis, private contributions made to the Foundation; and (2) to provide administrative services.
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- Ways and Means Committee · House · hearings by (full committee), markup by, referred to, reported by
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. 20 actions.
- Mar 26, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-244.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 14, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Mar 8, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment. By Voice Vote.
- Feb 6, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Concurred, in Senate Amendment 004 , with Amendments.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments 001, 002, 003 by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 2, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Oct 19, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Sep 28, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jul 13, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jul 12, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jul 1, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Ways and Means Committee
- Jun 29, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Ways and Means Committee
- Jun 2, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by House Ways and Means Committee
- May 16, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
- May 10, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- Apr 28, 1983CommitteeCommittee · 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.