An act entitled the "Federal Timber Contract Payment Modification Act".
Public Law 98-478 · H.R. 2838 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 16, 1984 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. James Weaver (D-OR-4)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Robert Smith, Rep. Gerald Sikorski
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateRecorded vote: 94 yea, 2 nay94–2
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.
(Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #252(94-2))
Federal Timber Contract Payment Modification Act - Authorizes requesting purchasers of Federal timber to buy out pre-1982 and specified reformed contracts held with the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior.
Permits cancellation of up to 55 percent of a contract's volume, with a maximum of: (1) 200,000,000 board feet for purchasers of more than 27,300,000 board feet of net merchantable sawtimber; or (2) 15,000,000 board feet for purchasers of 27,300,000 or less board feet of net merchantable sawtimber, or one contract, whichever is greater in volume.
Bases purchaser cost on net worth and projected contract losses.
States that amounts collected from buy-outs shall be deposited in the Treasury.
Allows certain purchasers to finance the buy-out charge, after a five percent down payment, in equal quarterly payments at interest rates adjusted to the average market yield of outstanding Treasury obligations.
Limits FY 1984 Forest Service region six timber sales to 4,300,000,000 board feet. States that beginning in FY 1985 and continuing until completion of specified 1983 contract extensions (but at least through FY 1991) such region's timber sales shall be adjusted to specified levels.
Requires that timber sales from such region be made in a manner which does not result in discriminatory treatment between forests in that region.
Treats affiliated concerns as a single entity for purposes of calculating net worth and buy-out limitations.
Requires the Secetary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to: (1) monitor bidding patterns on sales contracts; and (2) take action to discourage bidding for speculative purposes.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to require a cash down payment (effective January 1, 1985) at the time a contract for timber sales from a national forest is executed.
Provides for the redetermination of emergency stumpage rates of National Forest timber in Alaska bid after January 1, 1974. Makes the rates established effective between January 1, 1981, and five years after the enactment of this Act.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to waive the annual rental fees required of the Boy Scouts of America (or a similar nonprofit organization) for their use of national forest system lands as organization camps if such organizations perform services prescribed by the Secretary. Conditions waiver of the annual rental fee upon full performance of such services.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 98th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 94 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
94 yea2 nay4 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(43)
- Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
Sen. Carl LevinD-MI- Sen. John MelcherD-MT
- Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
- Sen. Paul SarbanesD-MD
- Sen. Donald RiegleD-MI
Sen. Frank LautenbergD-NJ
Sen. Christopher DoddD-CT- Sen. Gary HartD-CO
Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT- Sen. Dale BumpersD-AR
- Sen. Paul TsongasD-MA
- Sen. James SasserD-TN
- Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
- Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
- Sen. Spark MatsunagaD-HI
- Sen. Thomas EagletonD-MO
Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE- Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI- Sen. George MitchellD-ME
- Sen. Wendell FordD-KY
Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM
Sen. Max BaucusD-MT
Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV- Sen. David PryorD-AR
- Sen. Daniel MoynihanD-NY
- Sen. Bill BradleyD-NJ
- Sen. Dee HuddlestonD-KY
- Sen. Jennings RandolphD-WV
- Sen. John GlennD-OH
- Sen. Dennis DeConciniD-AZ
- Sen. Alan DixonD-IL
- Sen. Lawton ChilesD-FL
- Sen. James ExonD-NE
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
- Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
- Sen. Russell LongD-LA
- Sen. David BorenD-OK
- Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
- Sen. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. Howell HeflinD-AL
- Sen. Edward ZorinskyD-NE
Republicans who voted yea(51)
- Sen. Mark AndrewsR-ND
- Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
- Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA- Sen. William CohenR-ME
- Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
- Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
- Sen. Larry PresslerR-SD
- Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
- Sen. Henry HeinzR-PA
- Sen. John ChafeeR-RI
- Sen. Alfonse D’AmatoR-NY
- Sen. Rudy BoschwitzR-MN
- Sen. David DurenbergerR-MN
- Sen. Paula HawkinsR-FL
- Sen. Nancy KassebaumR-KS
Sen. Thad CochranR-MS- Sen. John DanforthR-MO
Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM- Sen. Daniel EvansR-WA
Sen. John WarnerR-VA- Sen. Slade GortonR-WA
- Sen. Roger JepsenR-IA
- Sen. Paul TribleR-VA
- Sen. William RothR-DE
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK- Sen. Alan SimpsonR-WY
- Sen. James AbdnorR-SD
- Sen. Mack MattinglyR-GA
- Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
- Sen. Warren RudmanR-NH
- Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
- Sen. Pete WilsonR-CA
Sen. Richard LugarR-IN- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Don NicklesR-OK
- Sen. Paul LaxaltR-NV
- Sen. Jacob HechtR-NV
- Sen. John TowerR-TX
- Sen. William ArmstrongR-CO
Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT- Sen. Dan QuayleR-IN
- Sen. Jeremiah DentonR-AL
- Sen. Jake GarnR-UT
- Sen. James McClureR-ID
- Sen. Malcolm WallopR-WY
- Sen. Jesse HelmsR-NC
- Sen. John EastR-NC
- Sen. Steven SymmsR-ID
- Sen. Barry GoldwaterR-AZ
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 623 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Agriculture Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee- Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Mining and Natural Resources Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Public Lands, Reserved Water and Resource Conservation 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.
- Oct 16, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-478.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 5, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 1, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Voice Vote.
- Sep 26, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 94-2. Record Vote No: 252.Senate roll call 252
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Aug 27, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 1, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 28, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Public Lands, Reserved Water and Resource Conservation Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Nov 16, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Nov 11, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
- Nov 8, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- Jun 22, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 15, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 17, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Mining and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Mining and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Mining and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- May 10, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Mining and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- May 4, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Forests, Family Farms, and Energy Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- Apr 28, 1983CommitteeCommittee · 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.