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A bill making appropriations for energy and water development for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1986, and for other purposes.

Public Law 99-141 · H.R. 2959 · 99th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 1, 1985 · Economics and Public Finance

Sponsor: Rep. Tom Bevill (D-AL-4)

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.

(House receded and concurred in certain Senate amendments with amendments)

Title I: Department of Defense - Civil Department of the Army - Makes appropriations for FY 1986 for authorized civil functions of the Department of the Army relating to rivers and harbors, flood control, and beach erosion (including projects which involve private and State and local governmental participation).

Title II: Department of the Interior - Makes appropriations for FY 1986 to the Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation for: (1) engineering and economic investigations of Federal reclamation and water conservation projects; (2) construction and rehabilitation projects; (3) soil and moisture conservation projects; (4) operation and maintenance of reclamation projects; (5) loans to irrigation districts for construction of distribution systems on authorized Federal reclamation projects; (6) general administrative expenses in certain Bureau of Reclamation offices; (7) the "Emergency Fund" as authorized by the Act of June 26, 1948; (8) replacement passenger motor vehicles and aircraft; and (9) recovery of archaeological and paleontological remains in specified areas.

Makes appropriations available to the Department of the Interior for: (1) damaged facilities or equipment belonging to the Department of the Interior; (2) emergency prevention of forest or range fires; and (3) general administrative expenses.

Establishes in the Treasury a working capital fund for Bureau of Reclamation support activities. Authorizes appropriations.

Title III: Department of Energy - Makes appropriations to the Department of Energy for FY 1986 for: (1) specified energy supply, research, and development activities; (2) uranium supply and enrichment activities; (3) general science and research activities; (4) nuclear waste disposal activities; (5) atomic energy defense activities; (6) departmental administrative expenses; (7) water and electrical power projects of the Alaska Power Administration; (8) specified fish passage facilities of the Bonneville Power Administration; (9) operational and maintenance expenses related to electric power transmission for the Southwestern Power Administration; (10) continuous operation of the power system of the Western Area Power Administration during emergency conditions (requires the Treasury to establish a continuing fund for such purpose); (11) salaries and expenses of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; and (12) geothermal energy research and development; and (13) Department of Energy general passenger vehicles and security guard expenses.

Prohibits the use of funds approved for the Western Area Power Administration to pay the rates of basic pay and premium pay for power system dispatchers unless such rates are based on those prevailing for similar occupations in the electric power industry.

Title IV: Independent Agencies - Makes appropriations for: (1) programs authorized by the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965; (2) salaries and expenses of the Delaware River Basin Commission; (3) expenses of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin; (4) Nuclear Regulatory Commission expenses; (5) expenses of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission; and (6) expenses of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Title V: General Provisions - Sets forth guidelines for the expenditure of appropriations under this Act.

Prohibits the use of funds to pay the salary of the Administrator of the Power Marketing Administration or the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority unless they award contracts for procurement of extra high voltage (EHV) power equipment manufactured in the United States when one or more domestic manufacturers offer a suitable product at a price not exceeding 125 percent of the bid or offering price of the most competitive foreign bidder.

Committees

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

  • Appropriations Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee
  • Appropriations Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Energy and Water Development 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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 36 actions.

  1. Nov 1, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-141.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 23, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 17, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate amendents nos. 22, 32, 34, and 46. By Voice Vote.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report considered in Senate.
  8. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Receded and Concurred With an Amendment in Senate Amendments 022, 032, 034, 046.
  9. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Receded and Concurred in Senate Amendments 008, 013, 015, 020, 023, 024.
  10. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  11. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  12. Oct 9, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  13. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  14. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 99-307 Filed in House.
  15. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 99-307 Filed in House.
  16. Oct 1, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Bevill, Boggs, Chappell, Fazio, Watkins, Boner, Whitten, Myers (IN), Smith (NE), Rudd, Conte.
  17. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  18. Aug 1, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate insists on its amendments, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Hatfield; McClure; Garn; Cochran; Abdnor; Kasten; Mattingly; Domenici; Johnston; Stennis; Byrd; Hollings; Burdick; Sasser; DeConcini.
  19. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
  20. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  21. Jul 25, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Appropriations Committee
  22. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Appropriations Committee
  23. Jul 23, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Energy and Water Development Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee
  24. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Energy and Water Development Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee
  25. Jul 17, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee
  26. Jul 16, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  27. FloorFloor · House Agreed to Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
  28. FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
  29. Jul 10, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Appropriations Committee
  30. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Appropriations Committee
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.