A bill relating to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and for other purposes.
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
(Measure passed House, amended) Amends the Act establishing the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to dedicate such lakeshore to the memory of Paul H. Douglas. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to designate the West Beach unit as the "Paul H. Douglas Ecological and Recreational Unit." Authorizes the design and construction of a structure, or the designation of an existing structure, to be known as the "Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education. Expands such Lakeshore to include 1,435 additional acres of land. Authorizes the Secretary to use appropriated funds for the acquisition of State or local school lands. Amends the provisions of such Act dealing with the qualifying dates for the retention of rights of occupancy for improved properties. Removes the maximum 20 year right of retained occupancy of improved residential property within the Lakeshore, and permits an owner, at his or her option, to select either a lifetime retained occupancy, or a fixed term occupancy of up to 25 years, not to extend beyond the specified date. Authorizes the Secretary to extend the term of currently existing reservations of use and occupancy of 20 years or less. Extends the life of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Advisory Commission. Increases the amount of the existing development ceiling for the Lakeshore, and increases the authorization of appropriations for land acquisition therein. Directs the Secretary to acquire only those interests sufficient to protect the natural resource values of a specified area of land if the owner should degrade or threaten to degrade the natural qualities of such area. Directs the Secretary to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan to achieve and maintain the integrity of the lands in the vicinity of Cowles Bog and the Nipsco Greenbelt. Sets forth the components of such plan. States that if a judicial or administrative determination is made that the acquisition of any portion of certain specified lands has prevented or impaired the ability of the former owner to construct, operate or maintain the power generating facilities in operation or under construction as of the date of enactment of this Act, the utility operator will have the option to repurchase the necessary interest for the original amount paid by the Secretary. Directs the Secretary to conduct a public access study of the Lakeshore, and thereafter to designate a principal public entrance for the west unit, as well as to acquire additional lands necessary for improved public access. Identifies a specific utility corridor running through a portion of the Lakeshore within which the Secretary is to acquire only a sufficient interest in order to ensure public access across the corridor.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Passed House amended" stage on October 29, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on October 30, 1979: Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
FLOYD FITHIAN (D-IN) introduced it on March 8, 1979. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 8, 1979, 17400 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17164 days ago, on October 30, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers