A bill to amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from acquiring land to establish a refuge of the National Wildlife Refuge System unless at least 50 percent of the owners of the land in the proposed refuge favor the acquisition.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Congressional Research Service

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Mar 20, 1997

Amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of the Interior, before acquiring land to establish a refuge of the National Wildlife Refuge System or preparing a final environmental assessment or environmental impact statement on the proposed acquisition under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, to: (1) hold a public hearing in the area in which such land is located; and (2) conduct a referendum among the owners of the land that will be acquired to determine whether they favor the proposed acquisition. Allows the Secretary to acquire land to establish a refuge only if a majority of landowners favor the proposed acquisition.

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People & committees

Who introduced it

Sen. Ford, Wendell H. [D-KY] · D–KY

Committees

Environment and Public Works Committee

0 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Legislative record

Actions

A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.

Mar 20, 1997
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Mar 20, 1997
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2653-2654)
Mar 20, 1997
Introduced in Senate

Primary sources

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Introduced in Senate · Mar 20, 1997 Formatted Text PDF

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

AI Conversation Starters

Explore the bill from different angles

Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.

Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.491 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.491, 105th Congress: A bill to amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from acquiring land to establish a refuge of the National Wildlife Refuge System unless at least 50 percent of the owners of the land in the proposed refuge favor the acquisition.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/491

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1997-03-20.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s491/BILLS-105s491is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:14:13Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Analyze S.491 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.491 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.491, 105th Congress: A bill to amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from acquiring land to establish a refuge of the National Wildlife Refuge System unless at least 50 percent of the owners of the land in the proposed refuge favor the acquisition.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/491

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1997-03-20.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s491/BILLS-105s491is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:14:13Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.491 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.491 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.491, 105th Congress: A bill to amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from acquiring land to establish a refuge of the National Wildlife Refuge System unless at least 50 percent of the owners of the land in the proposed refuge favor the acquisition.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/491

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1997-03-20.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s491/BILLS-105s491is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:14:13Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.491 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.491 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

View full prompt & sources

Discuss S.491, 105th Congress: A bill to amend the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to prohibit the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from acquiring land to establish a refuge of the National Wildlife Refuge System unless at least 50 percent of the owners of the land in the proposed refuge favor the acquisition.

Official record: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/senate-bill/491

Text version to examine: Introduced in Senate · 1997-03-20.

Official full text: https://www.congress.gov/105/bills/s491/BILLS-105s491is.htm

Imported record last updated by the source: 2026-09-08T18:14:13Z. Verify current status and distinguish any later version from the version above.

Read the official text before answering. If you cannot access it, say so and ask me to provide it; do not assume a link means you have read the document. Distinguish proposals from enacted law, cite sources, and separate facts, interpretation, and uncertain predictions. Include counterarguments even when using a particular perspective.

Examine S.491 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.