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Barrow Gas Field Transfer Act of 1984

Public Law 98-366 · H.R. 5740 · 98th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jul 17, 1984 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

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.

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Summary

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

Barrow Gas Field Transfer Act of 1984 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey to the North Slope Borough, Alaska, the subsurface estate held by the United States to the Barrow gas fields and the Walakpa gas discovery site, related support facilities, other lands, interests, and funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of the agreement between the Secretary of the Interior and the North Slope Borough dated September 22, 1983 (the NSB Agreement). Incorporates such agreement into this Act. Authorizes the North Slope Borough, upon conveyance, to explore for, develop, and produce fluid hydrocarbons within the lands and interests granted (provided that provisions of the NSB Agreement shall not reduce revenues which would otherwise be shared with the State of Alaska). Exempts the Barrow gas field and related support facilities from the Pipeline Safety Act, and other rules and regulations governing the design, construction, and operation of gas pipelines, wells, and related facilities.

Requires provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act to apply to 320 acres of land selected by and conveyed to the North Slope Borough pursuant to the NSB Agreement. Restricts the selections of the North Slope Borough. Permits the North Slope Borough up to ten years to make its selection.

Provides that, notwithstanding any provision of the NSB Agreement, the right of the North Slope Borough to exploit gas and entrained liquid hydrocarbons from Federal test wells in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska shall not apply to test wells in areas designated by the Congress or the Secretary under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 for the protection of surface values as depicted on a specified map.

Directs the Secretary to convey to Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (UIC) subject to valid existing rights, all right, title, and interest held by the United States to sand and gravel underlying the surface estate owned by UIC in the Barrow gas fields and Walakpa gas discovery site, upon execution of an easement agreement with the North Slope Borough, satisfactory to the North Slope Borough, in consideration for the conveyance to UIC of such sand and gravel, providing for easements, for all purposes associated with the operation, maintenance, development, production, operation, or transportation of energy, including the transmission of electricity, from the Borrow gas fields, the Walakpa discovery site, or from any other source of energy chosen by the North Slope Borough, to supply energy to Barrow, Wainwright, and Atkasook, and providing such easements when and where required as determined by the North Slope Borough during the life of such fields or other energy sources.

Amends the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to authorize the Secretary to grant such rights-of-way to the North Slope Borough as may be necessary to permit the North Slope Borough to provide energy supplies to villages on the North Slope.

Provides that, in consideration for the relinquishment of rights that the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation has under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to the subsurface resources in the Barrow gas fields and the Walakpa gas discovery site conveyed to the North Slope Borough and UIC pursuant to this Act, the Secretary and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation are authorized to exchange lands and interests as set forth in the separate agreement between the Secretary and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation dated January 24, 1984, (the ASRC Agreement). Incorporates into this Act and ratifies the specific terms, conditions, and covenants of such agreement as to the rights, duties, and obligations of the United States and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and as to the rights and interests of the North Slope Borough.

Provides that, notwithstanding provisions of the ASRC Agreement providing for the coveyance to the United States of 69,120 acres of subsurface estate, the ASRC shall instead of conveying such acreage convey 101,272 acres of subsurface estate described in the agreement of August 9, 1983, between the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and the United States.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.

  1. Jul 17, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-366.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jul 6, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Jun 28, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Jun 27, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  6. Jun 22, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Public Lands, Reserved Water and Resource Conservation Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  7. Jun 19, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  8. Jun 18, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
  9. Jun 14, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
  10. Jun 13, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
  11. Jun 7, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  13. Jun 5, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  14. Jun 4, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  15. May 24, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  16. 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.

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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.