Omnibus Renewables Act of 1980
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
Omnibus Renewables Act of 1980 - Title I: Solar and Geothermal Energy Programs - Amends the Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act of 1974 to provide for a program to develop solar agricultural and industrial process heat for use in meeting needs of agricultural and industrial operations. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a development and demonstration program on solar energy systems to provide agricultural and industrial process heat. Requires the Secretary to transmit to Congress a comprehensive management plan which shall include performance criteria for the solar heating components and systems to be used in such program. Requires the Secretary to submit to Congress concurrently with the President's annual budget following transmittal of the initial program management plan a detailed description of the plan as then in effect, including any significant changes in the program. Directs the Secretary to enter into such contracts and make such awards based on competitive solicitation as are necessary for: (1) the development or procurement of solar agricultural and industrial process heat systems; (2) the installation and testing of such systems; and (3) the operation of such installations during the demonstration period. Allows title to such systems to be conveyed subject to any terms prescribed by the Secretary to the owners of the facilities involved. Directs the Secretary to: (1) monitor the operations of such systems; (2) collect, evaluate, and disseminate data on all such systems; and (3) carry out studies in furtherance of this Act. Requires that priority be given in the solar agricultural and industrial process heat demonstration program to: (1) projects in which a substantial share of the purchasing, installation, and operating funds are provided by private entities and non-Federal governmental entities; and (2) projects which involve technologies which will be acceptable to the public soon. Directs the Secretary to establish a program for the repair and retrofit of solar heating systems and combined solar heating and cooling systems in accordance with the applicable performance criteria established under this Act by the Secretary for residential dwellings and commercial buildings. Requires that priority under such program be given to projects which: (1) can be repaired at reasonable cost and are located in areas where a substantial portion of residential heat may be derived from solar energy or there is public skepticism about solar heating; and (2) are being monitored or where a substantial share of funds are provided by private or non-Federal entities. Directs the Secretary to establish an office to encourage small business participation in the development and demonstration of solar energy. Requires the Secretary to encourage small inventors to participate in the development and demonstration of solar energy by placing representatives of small inventors in the Energy Department's regional offices. Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 to allow a taxpayer to elect to take an amortization deduction for any qualified geothermal property based on a 60-month period. Permits a taxpayer who has elected to take such deduction at any time to discontinue the deduction for the rest of the amortization period. Deems the election of such deduction terminated if during the amortization period the qualified geothermal property ceases to meet the specified definition of qualified geothermal property.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on September 24, 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 September 24, 1980: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
- 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?
ROBERT DORNAN (R-CA) introduced it on September 24, 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 September 24, 1980, 16834 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16834 days ago, on September 24, 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