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Texas Wilderness Act of 1984

Public Law 98-574 · H.R. 3788 · 98th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 30, 1984 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Rep. John Bryant (D-TX-5)

Cosponsors (4): Rep. James Weaver,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • 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.

Texas Wilderness Act of 1984 - Designates the following lands in Texas as components of the National Wildernesss Preservation System: (1) the Turkey Hill Wilderness in the Angelina National Forest; (2) the Upland Island Wilderness in the Angelina National Forest; (3) the Big Slough Wilderness in the Davy Crockett National Forest; (4) the Indian Mounds Wilderness in the Sabine National Forest; and (5) the Little Lake Creek Wilderness in the Sam Houston National Forest.

Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to acquire lands within the Indian Mounds and Upland Island Wilderness Areas owned by Temple-Eastex Incorporated by exchange. Requires the Secretary to terminate any existing timber sales contracts within the boundaries of the Indian Mounds, Upland Island, and Little Lake Creek Wilderness Areas without cost to the buyer.

Provides that the RARE II (second roadless area review and evaluation) final environmental statement (dated January 1979) with respect to national forest system lands in Texas shall not be subject to judicial review. Releases national forest system lands in Texas which were reviewed in the RARE II program from further review by the Department of Agriculture, pending revision of initial forest management plans. Releases lands in Texas reviewed in the RARE II program and not designated as wilderness from management as wilderness areas. Prohibits the Department of Agriculture from conducting any further statewide roadless area review and evaluation of national forest system lands in Texas without express congressional authorization. Provides that the provisions of this paragraph shall also apply to national forest system roadless lands in Texas of less than 5000 acres in size.

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. 20 actions.

  1. Oct 30, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-574.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 18, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 4, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Oct 2, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Sep 18, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  7. Sep 13, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  8. May 24, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Production and Price Competitiveness Subcommittee of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  9. May 9, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
  10. May 8, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  11. May 4, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Agriculture Committee
  12. May 2, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
  14. Apr 25, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
  15. Apr 10, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  17. Nov 7, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  18. Aug 25, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  19. Aug 4, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  20. 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.