A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to codify in that title certain defense-related permanent free-standing provisions of law.
Public Law 100-370 · H.R. 4229 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jul 19, 1988 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Leslie Aspin (D-WI-1)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. William Dickinson
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.
Amends title 10 (Armed Forces) of the U.S. Code to codify defense-related statutes, including provisions relating to: (1) enlistment qualifications for armed forces personnel; (2) the limitation on the number of general officers and flag officers permitted on active duty; (3) commissary and exchange benefit eligibility with respect to dependent survivors of certain Reserve and Guard members and certain unremarried former spouses of military personnel; (4) an exemption of military appropriations funds and contract authorization from the apportionment requirement if deemed by the President to be necessary for the national defense; (5) exceptions from appropriations limitations for costs of airborne alerts and for increased armed forces personnel on active duty under certain circumstances; (6) accounting procedures, rulemaking mandates, and required budget documents with respect to contracted advisory and assistance services; (7) required contents of the Secretary of Defense's annual defense budget in connection with common procurement weapon systems; (8) miscellaneous authorities, prohibitions, limitations, and availability with respect to various funds appropriated to the Department of Defense; (9) defense procurement, both generally and in connection with specific items, such as milk; (10) research and development; (11) cost-free transfers of vessels to and from other military departments or the Department of Transportation; (12) the required annual report of the Secretary to specified congressional committees on the cost of stationing U.S. forces outside the United States; (13) contracting for performance of civilian commercial- or industrial-type functions; and (14) Buy American requirements in the context of defense procurement.
Describes principles of statutory construction to be applied in connection with the codifications effected by this Act.
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. 12 actions.
- Jul 19, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-370.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 11, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jul 6, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 28, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Armed Services Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Armed Services Committee
- Jun 22, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Armed Services Committee
- Jun 20, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jun 14, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Armed Services Committee
- Mar 29, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Armed Services Committee
- Mar 23, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.