A joint resolution deploring the Soviet Government's active persecution of religious believers in Ukraine.
Public Law 100-305 · S.J.Res. 235 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on May 2, 1988 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)
Cosponsors (38): Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Sen. Daniel Moynihan,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Deplores the Soviet Government's active persecution of religious believers in the Ukraine and its forcible liquidation of the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic Churches.
Discourages official participation by the U.S. Government in ceremonies of the Millennium of Christianity in Kievan Rus' so long as: (1) individuals are harassed and imprisoned for their religious beliefs and denied access to religious literature and instruction; and (2) the Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox Churches remain outlawed. Sends greetings to the Ukrainian people on the Millennium.
Urges the President, the Secretary of State, the U.S. delegation to the United Nations, and the U.S. delegation to the Vienna Review Meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe to continue to speak out forcefully against violations of religious liberty throughout the Soviet Union and, specifically, in the Ukraine.
Calls upon the Soviet Government to release all those imprisoned for their religious beliefs and legalize the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic Churches.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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 signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 10 actions.
- May 2, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-305.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Apr 21, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Apr 19, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 4, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
- Mar 3, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- Dec 17, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Foreign Relations 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.