Chesapeake Bay Watershed Forestry Program Act of 2005
Latest action. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text of measure as introduced: continuing resolutionA stopgap law funding the government at existing levels when the annual appropriations bills are not done by October 1.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) S8956-8957)
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Forestry Program Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Forest Service and the program Coordinator, to carry out a Chesapeake Bay watershed forestry program under which the Secretary shall make grants and provide technical assistance to eligible entities to restore and conserve forests in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including grants and assistance to: (1) promote forest conservation, restoration, and stewardship efforts; (2) accelerate the restoration of riparian forest buffers; (3) assist in developing and carrying out projects and partnerships; (4) promote the protection and sustainable management of forests; (5) develop public communication and education resources; (6) conduct forest research, assessment, and planning activities; and (7) contribute to the achievement Chesapeake Bay Agreement goals.
Directs the Secretary to designate a Forest Service employee as program Coordinator. Sets forth the Coordinator's responsibilities.
Defines an eligible entity as: (1) a Chesapeake Bay state (Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia), or a political subdivision thereof; (2) a university or other institution of higher education; (3) a tax-exempt organization operating in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; or (4) any other person in the Chesapeake Bay watershed determined by the Secretary as eligible.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) make grants (75% federal maximum) to such entities to carry out specified program projects; (2) conduct a study of urban and rural forests in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; and (3) establish a watershed forestry research program for the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Authorizes the use of funds under this Act to employ a state watershed forester to work with the Coordinator.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on July 26, 2005. 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 26, 2005: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8956-8957)
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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 109th Congress (2005-06), 482 of the 10,701 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.5 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?
PAUL SARBANES (D-MD) introduced it on July 26, 2005, and 5 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 2 Democrats, 3 Republicans.
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 26, 2005, 7716 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 7716 days ago, on July 26, 2005.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 109th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2007 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
- SenateIntroduced, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers