H.R. 3961 – Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2018

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 6:25 PM UTC

The Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2018 would add a portion of the Kissimmee River in Florida to the list of river segments that the federal government must study for possible inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The study must be completed within three years of funding and the results reported to the House and Senate natural resources committees. The bill is intended to protect the restored river while ensuring it does not harm existing agriculture, recreation, energy projects, or military activities.

Key Provisions

Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate the segment from the southern shore of Lake Kissimmee to its confluence with Lake Okeechobee for study.
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to finish the study within three years of receiving funds and submit a report to the relevant congressional committees.
The report must examine how the designation would affect commercial and recreational uses (e.g., ranching, hunting, boating), energy infrastructure, military operations, and state/local management authority.
The study must identify any authorities that could influence local land‑use decisions, allow condemnation of private property, and list private lands within the study area.
Specifies that the study cannot interfere with the ongoing Kissimmee River Restoration Project, cannot negatively impact agricultural production, and cannot lead to more restrictive management until Congress acts on the study’s recommendations.

Legislative Activity

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16 earlier actions

SenateCommittee Latest Action

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-535.

National Parks Subcommittee

December 12, 2018

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

October 4, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Natural Resources Committee

October 4, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

Federal Lands Subcommittee

October 11, 2017

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Federal Lands Subcommittee

December 7, 2017

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee on Federal Lands Discharged.

Natural Resources Committee

January 17, 2018

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Natural Resources Committee

January 17, 2018

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.

Natural Resources Committee

January 17, 2018

HouseCommittee

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 115-634.

Natural Resources Committee

April 13, 2018

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 485.

April 13, 2018

HouseFloor

Mr. McClintock moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

April 16, 2018 • 5:12 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3322-3323)

April 16, 2018 • 5:13 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3961.

April 16, 2018 • 5:13 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H3322-3323)

April 16, 2018 • 5:19 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3322-3323)

April 16, 2018 • 5:19 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

April 16, 2018 • 5:19 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

April 17, 2018

SenateCommittee

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-535.

National Parks Subcommittee

December 12, 2018

Floor Debate

3 members

What members said about H.R. 3961 on the floor

1 Republican2 Democrats

Rep. Tom McClintockR-CA-4 · Apr 16, 2018

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3961) to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Kissimmee River and its tributaries in the State of Florida…

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3961) to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Kissimmee River and its tributaries in the State of Florida for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3961 would designate the Kissimmee River for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

I must admit, I have become highly skeptical of wild and scenic designations on our rivers after I watched the Merced River's designation used as an excuse to severely restrict traditional recreational amenities at Yosemite National Park in my district, including bicycling, horseback riding, river rafting, lodging, and many other amenities that long predated the wild and scenic designation. The iconic Curry Village Skating Rink was lost to these restrictions.

Not only are the designations used to severely restrict public access and to restrict the enjoyment of the public's lands, even the existence of a study has often been used as an excuse to forbid longstanding and traditional enjoyment of these rivers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the bill's author, Mr. Soto, for agreeing to amendments that will assure that the conduct of the study authorized by this measure cannot be used as justification for any restrictions on the public's use of the Kissimmee.

It should be very clearly understood that, with this bill, Congress is authorizing a study and nothing else. In no way is it authorizing any restriction on the public's use of this land while it is being studied or because it is being studied.

Any further actions forthcoming from the result of this study is for the Congress and the Congress alone to decide.

With that very clear understanding, I support adoption of the measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Darren SotoD-FL-9 · Apr 16, 2018

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong support of my bill, H.R. 3961, the Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2018. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Bishop, Ranking Member Grijalva,…

Rep. Colleen HanabusaD-HI-1 · Apr 16, 2018

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto), the author of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3961…

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued April 17, 2018

IIB

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 3961

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 17, 2018

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

AN ACT

To amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Kissimmee River and its tributaries in the State of Florida for study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2018.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

The Kissimmee River has undergone, over the course of two decades, the largest river restoration effort in the world.

(2)

Extending approximately 105 miles from Orlando to Lake Okeechobee, the Kissimmee River forms the headwaters of Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades and serves as a vital component of ecosystem restoration in South Florida as a whole.

(3)

The Kissimmee River Restoration Project has significantly improved approximately 63,000 acres of wetlands within the Kissimmee River watershed and reestablished an environment suitable for fish, wildlife, and the wetland plants that existed prior to the Kissimmee River’s channelization in the 1960s.

(4)

The Kissimmee River Restoration Project is expected to be completed in 2020, at which point it is expected to reestablish historic hydrologic conditions, recreate historic river and floodplain connectivity, recreate the historic mosaic of wetland plant communities, and restore historic biological diversity and functionality.

(5)

After decades of restoration efforts and the expenditure of nearly a billion dollars, upon completion of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, a study should be conducted to determine the eligibility of including the fully restored Kissimmee River into the National Wild and Scenic River program to preserve the fully restored free-flowing condition and immediate environment of the river for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.

(6)

Inclusion of the Kissimmee River into the National Wild and Scenic River program would be a fitting tribute to the hard work of the Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District’s restoration work.

3.

Designation for study

(a)

Designation for potential addition

Section 5(a) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(__)

Kissimmee River, Florida

The segment from the southern shore of Lake Kissimmee to its confluence with Lake Okeechobee.

.

(b)

Study

Section 5(b) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1276(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(__)

Kissimmee River, Florida

(A)

In general

Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are made available to carry out this paragraph, the Secretary of the Interior shall complete a study of the Kissimmee River, as described in subsection (a)(__), and submit a report describing the results of such study to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

(B)

Report requirements

The report required under subparagraph (A) shall—

(i)

include a discussion of the effect of the designation of the segment to be studied under subsection (a)(__) on—

(I)

existing commercial and recreational activities, such as cattle ranching, dairy production, hunting, fishing, trapping, recreational shooting, motor boat use, or bridge construction;

(II)

the authorization, construction, operation, maintenance, or improvement of energy production and transmission infrastructure;

(III)

military operations; and

(IV)

the authority of State and local governments to manage the activities described in subclauses (I) and (II); and

(ii)

identify—

(I)

all authorities that will authorize or require the Secretary of the Interior to influence local land use decisions (such as zoning) or place restrictions on non-Federal land if the area studied under subsection (a)(__) is designated under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act;

(II)

all authorities that the Secretary of the Interior may use to condemn property if the area studied under subsection (a)(__) is designated under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act; and

(III)

all private property located in the area to be studied under subsection (a)(__).

(C)

Noninterference

This study shall not interfere with the Kissimmee River Restoration Project authorized under section 101(8) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–580).

.

(c)

No negative impact

Nothing authorized by this Act may negatively impact agricultural production in the Kissimmee River basin.

(d)

No effect on management

This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall not interfere with the current management of the area of the Kissimmee River described in section 5(a)(__) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, nor shall the fact that such area is listed for study under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.) be used as justification for more restrictive management, such as wilderness or as a category of wild

and scenic river, until Congress acts on the study recommendations.

Passed the House of Representatives April 16, 2018.

Karen L. Haas,

Clerk.