Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987
Public Law 100-259 · S. 557 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate
Vetoed by Ronald Reagan (R); passed over the veto on Mar 22, 1988 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Major lawVeto override
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Cosponsors (58): Sen. Lowell Weicker, Sen. Howard Metzenbaum,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 315 yea, 98 nay315–98
- SenateRecorded vote: 75 yea, 14 nay75–14
Veto override votes
- HouseNeeds two-thirds: 292 yea, 133 nay292–133
- SenateNeeds two-thirds: 73 yea, 24 nay73–24
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
(Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #12 (75-14))
Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 - Amends title IX (Prohibition of Sex Discrimination) of the Education Amendments of 1972 to define the phrase "program or activity" and the term "program" to mean all of the operations of the following entities, any part of which is extended Federal financial assistance: (1) a department, agency, special purpose district, or other instrumentality of a State or local government; (2) a State or local government entity which distributes such assistance and the agency or department to which such assistance is extended; (3) a college, university, or other postsecondary institution, or public system of higher education; (4) a local educational agency, system of vocational education, or other school system; and (5) a corporation, partnership, or other private organization or certain sole proprietorships. States that such terms do not include any operation of an entity which is controlled by a religious organization.
States that nothing in such Act shall be construed to: (1) require or prohibit any person or entity to provide or pay for an abortion; or (2) permit a penalty to be imposed on any person because such person is seeking or has received any benefit or service related to a legal abortion.
Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to define the phrase "program or activity" to mean all of the activities of the aforementioned entities.
States that this Act does not require any individual or hospital, or other institution, program, or activity that receives Federal financial assistance to perform or pay for an abortion.
Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to provide that the anti-discrimination provisions relating to employment shall not apply to individuals having a contagious disease or infection who, by reason of such disease or infection: (1) would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of others; or (2) is unable to perform the duties of the job.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 100th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 80 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
80 yea15 nay5 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(51)
- Sen. William ProxmireD-WI
Sen. Kent ConradD-ND
Sen. Tom HarkinD-IA
Sen. Barbara MikulskiD-MD
Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA- Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
- Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
- Sen. Spark MatsunagaD-HI
Sen. Carl LevinD-MI- Sen. Brock AdamsD-WA
- Sen. Paul SarbanesD-MD
- Sen. Dale BumpersD-AR
- Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
- Sen. Albert GoreD-TN
Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT- Sen. James SasserD-TN
Sen. John KerryD-MA- Sen. Donald RiegleD-MI
- Sen. George MitchellD-ME
- Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
- Sen. James SanfordD-NC
Sen. Frank LautenbergD-NJ- Sen. John MelcherD-MT
Sen. Jay RockefellerD-WV- Sen. Tom DaschleD-SD
Sen. Max BaucusD-MT- Sen. David PryorD-AR
Sen. Christopher DoddD-CT- Sen. Daniel MoynihanD-NY
Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV
Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE- Sen. John GlennD-OH
- Sen. Timothy WirthD-CO
- Sen. Wyche FowlerD-GA
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
Sen. Harry ReidD-NV- Sen. Bill BradleyD-NJ
- Sen. John BreauxD-LA
- Sen. James ExonD-NE
- Sen. Lawton ChilesD-FL
Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM- Sen. Bob GrahamD-FL
- Sen. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. Alan DixonD-IL
- Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
- Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
- Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
- Sen. Dennis DeConciniD-AZ
- Sen. David BorenD-OK
Sen. Richard ShelbyD-AL- Sen. Howell HeflinD-AL
Republicans who voted yea(29)
- Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
- Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
- Sen. John ChafeeR-RI
- Sen. Henry HeinzR-PA
- Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
- Sen. David DurenbergerR-MN
- Sen. William CohenR-ME
Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA- Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
- Sen. John DanforthR-MO
- Sen. Nancy KassebaumR-KS
- Sen. William RothR-DE
- Sen. Alfonse D’AmatoR-NY
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK- Sen. Daniel EvansR-WA
Sen. John WarnerR-VA
Sen. Thad CochranR-MS- Sen. Rudy BoschwitzR-MN
Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA- Sen. Warren RudmanR-NH
- Sen. Larry PresslerR-SD
- Sen. Paul TribleR-VA
- Sen. Alan SimpsonR-WY
- Sen. Robert KastenR-WI
Sen. Kit BondR-MO- Sen. Pete WilsonR-CA
- Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
Sen. John McCainR-AZ
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 432 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee · Senate · hearings by (full committee), markup by, referred to, reported by
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to the override, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Mar 22, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-259.
- VetoVeto · Passed House Over Veto by Yea-Nay Vote: 292 - 133 (Record Vote No: 41).House roll call 41
- VetoVeto · Passed House over veto: Passed House Over Veto by Yea-Nay Vote: 292 - 133 (Record Vote No: 41).House roll call 41
- VetoVeto · Passed Senate over veto by Yea-Nay Vote. 73-24. Record Vote No: 67.Senate roll call 67
- VetoVeto · Passed Senate over veto: Passed Senate over veto by Yea-Nay Vote. 73-24. Record Vote No: 67.Senate roll call 67
- FloorFloor · Veto message considered in Senate.
- Mar 17, 1988FloorFloor · Veto message considered in Senate.
- Mar 16, 1988VetoVeto · Veto message received in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Vetoed by President.
- Mar 4, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Mar 2, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House by Yea-Nay Vote: 315 - 98 (Record Vote No: 20).House roll call 20
- FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
- Jan 28, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 75-14. Record Vote No: 12.Senate roll call 12
- Jan 26, 1988FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jun 5, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- May 20, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Apr 1, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Feb 19, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.