Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act
Latest action. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on public landsLand owned by the federal government, about a quarter of the country, managed by agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and Park Service.Read the full definition (opens a new tab), Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 116-382.
Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act
This bill expands the Smith River National Recreation Area in California into Oregon and designates specified segments of the North Fork Smith River as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (NWSRS).
The management emphasis for any portion of the recreation area in Oregon shall be on roadless backcountry and white-water recreation.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall study the additions to the recreation area, including inventories and assessments of water features (e.g., streams and lakes). USDA shall modify any applicable management plan to protect the resources inventoried.
USDA shall seek to enter into a memorandum of understanding with applicable Indian tribes to (1) provide them with access to the portions of the recreation area in Oregon to conduct historical and cultural activities; and (2) develop interpretive information to be provided to the public on the history of, and use of the area by, those tribes.
On the adoption of a resolution by the State Land Board of Oregon, USDA shall acquire the 555 acres of land known as the Cedar Creek Parcel in Oregon.
A streamside protection zone in which timber harvesting is prohibited (with exceptions) shall be established for each of the designated North Fork Smith River segments.
The bill also designates a specified segment of the Smith River in Oregon as part of the NWSRS.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on November 14, 2019. 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 November 18, 2020: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 116-382.
- 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 116th Congress (2019-20), 344 of the 14,345 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.4 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?
Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced it on November 14, 2019, and 2 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 2 Democrats.
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 November 14, 2019, 2492 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 2122 days ago, on November 18, 2020.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 116th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2021 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers