S. 820: A bill to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness.

115th Congress · introduced 2017-04-04 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-04-04 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness.

Plain summary

This bill amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 to designate approximately 1,559,538 acres of land within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] · 41 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] reported raising $6.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115s820.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>

Record fed-us-cong115-s820 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115