A bill to amend the Water Bank Act for the purposes of authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to adjust payment rates with respect to initial conservation agreements and to designate certain areas as wetlands, and for other purposes.
PL 96-182 (H.R.2043), enacted 01/02/1980

PUBLIC LAW 96-182—JAN. 2, 1980 
93 STAT. 1317 
Public Law 96-182 
96th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Water Bank Act for the purposes of authorizing the Secretary of 
Agriculture to adjust payment rates with respect to initial conservation agree-
ments and to designate certain areas as wetlands, and for other purposes. 
Jan. 2, 1980 
[H.R. 2043] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled. That the third Water Bank Act, 
sentence of section 3 of the Water Bank Act (16 U.S.C. 1302) is amendment. 
amended to read as follows: "The Secretary shall, beginning in 1980, 
reexamine the payment rates at the beginning of the fifth year of any 
such ten-year initial or renewal period and before the beginning of 
any renewal period, in the light of the then current land and crop 
values, and make needed adjustments in rates for any such initial or 
renewal period as provided in section 5 of this Act. In addition, the 16 USC 1304. 
Secretary shall, beginning in 1980, reexamine the payment rates in 
any agreement that has been in effect for five years or more in the 
light of current land and crop values and make any needed adjust-
ments in rates.". 
SEC. 2. The fourth sentence of section 3 of the Water Bank Act (16 "Wetlands." 
U.S.C. 1302) is amended to read as follows: "As used in this Act, the 
term 'wetlands' means (1) the inland fresh areas described as types 1 
through 7 in Circular 39, Wetlands of the United States, published by 
the United States Department of the Interior (or the inland fresh 
areas corresponding to such types in any successor wetland classifica-
tion system developed by the Department of the Interior), (2) artifi-
cially developed inland fresh areas that meet the description of the 
inland fresh areas described in clause (1) of this sentence, and (3) such 
other wetland types as the Secretary may designate.". 
SEC. 3. Section 5 of the Water Bank Act (16 U.S.C. 1304) is amended 
by adding at the end thereof a new sentence as follows: "The rates of 
annual payment shall be adjusted, to the extent provided for in 
advance by appropriation Acts, in accordance with section 3 of the 
Act.". 
SEC. 4. Section 11 of the Water Bank Act (16 U.S.C. 1310) is 
amended by— 
(1) inserting after "program," in the second sentence the 
following: "in each fiscal year through the fiscal year ending 
September 30,1980,"; and 
93 STAT. 1318 
PUBLIC LAW 96-182—JAN. 2, 1980 
(2) adding at the end thereof two new sentences as follows: "In 
carrying out the program, in each fiscal year after the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 1980, the Secretary shall not enter into 
agreements with owners and operators which would require 
payments to owners or operators in any calendar year under 
such agreements in excess of $30,000,000. Not more than 15 
percent of the funds authorized to be appropriated in any fiscal 
year after the fiscal year ending September 30,1980, may be used 
for agreements entered into with owners or operators in any one 
State.". 
Approved January 2, 1980. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 96-171 (Comm. on Merchant Marine and Fisheries). 
SENATE REPORT No. 96-449 accompanying S. 837 (Comm. on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 125 (1979): 
July 9, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 18, S. 837 considered in Senate; H.R. 2043 considered and passed Senate, 
amended, in lieu of S. 837. 
Dec. 20, House agreed to Senate amendment.