June 24 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has asked the committees with jurisdiction over climate change legislation to complete work on the measure by Sept. 18, Senator Barbara Boxer said.

Boxer, a California Democrat, who heads the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said in an interview today that her part of the bill is likely to be finished by the first week in August. The House of Representatives may vote this week on similar legislation intended to cut emissions of greenhouse gases tied to global warming 17 percent by 2020.

Reid’s plan is for both the Senate and the House to pass legislation before the U.S. enters into international climate- change talks in Copenhagen in December, Boxer said. Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said in an interview that he is meeting with committee chairmen about dates for finishing work on the bill.

“It very well may,” Boxer said when asked if the Senate will pass the bill before the Copenhagen meeting.

Boxer said Reid told committee chairs last week of the goal to finish hearings and debate.

To contact the reporters on this story: Daniel Whitten in Washington at dwhitten2@bloomberg.net; Jim Efstathiou Jr. in New York at jefstathiou@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: June 24, 2009 12:43 EDT