Special Areas Soil Conservation Act of 1980
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Agriculture.
Special Areas Soil Conservation Act of 1980 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program for the conservation of soil, water, and related resources in specified areas by providing technical and financial assistance to owners and operators of non-Federal farm, ranch, and other lands. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts with owners of land within such designated areas. Limits contracts with owners of non-farm or non-ranch land to owners of lands with erosion problems which threaten adjoining farm or ranch land. Requires such contracts to assist in making necessary changes in cropping systems or land uses. Requires the owner or operator of such land to furnish the Secretary with a plan of farming operations or land use which incorporates practical conservation practices and outlines a schedule for the implementation of such practices. Requires such owner or operator to forfeit future and refund past payments if the Secretary determines the submitted plan has not been substantially followed. Sets forth other terms of such contract. Authorizes the Secretary to terminate or modify such agreement if to do so would be in the public interest. Directs the Secretary to prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report assessing the problems, objectives, and a schedule for implementation of this program in a designated special area. Requires the approval of such committees before such area shall be finally designated. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) utilize the services of State and local agencies; (2) fund research necessary to develop new technologies for controlling erosion-related problems in a designated special area; and (3) provide grants to any State containing lands within such areas to conduct an evaluation and analysis of the local and State tax structures and their effect on the implementation and maintenance of conservation measures. Directs the Secretary to: (1) report annually to Congress on the activities and results of such program; and (2) protect program participants to the degree possible from any penalty under other agricultural programs for participating in such program.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on July 2, 1980. 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 July 2, 1980: Referred to House Committee on Agriculture.
- 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?
ALBERT ULLMAN (D-OR) introduced it on July 2, 1980. 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 July 2, 1980, 16871 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16871 days ago, on July 2, 1980.
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