Dire Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1988
Public Law 100-393 · H.R. 5026 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 14, 1988 · Economics and Public Finance
Sponsor: Rep. Jamie Whitten (D-MS-1)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
(House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment, roll call #290 (270-32))
Dire Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1988 - Title I: Dire Emergency Program Supplementals - Makes FY 1988 supplemental appropriations to the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration for State unemployment insurance and employment service operations. Makes this additional amount available for obligation from July 1, 1988, through June 30, 1989.
Transfers funds from the Employment Security Administration's revolving fund as advances to the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund and for trade adjustment assistance.
Transfers from the Business Loan and Investment Fund additional FY 1988 appropriations for salaries and expenses of the Small Business Administration. Limits FY 1988 outlays resulting from the use of these funds.
Transfers monies from various funds within the Department of Transportation to provide supplemental FY 1988 appropriations to pay operating expenses of the Coast Guard. Makes these additional amounts available through FY 1989.
Rescinds a specified amount of unobligated contract authority available to the Federal Aviation Administration for airport development and planning.
Appropriates supplemental FY 1988 funds to the Department of Justice for a deficiency in the U.S. Marshals Service and for the following activities associated with the Mariel Cuban prisoner riots: (1) legal activities in support of U.S. prisoners (partly derived from fund transfers); and (2) salaries and expenses of the Community Relations Service and of the Federal Prison System.
Makes FY 1988 supplemental appropriations to the Department of Defense-Civil for emergency activities of the Army Corps of Engineers-Civil in connection with drought relief in the Mississippi River Basin. Directs the Secretary of the Army, through the Chief of Engineers, to undertake specific activities in this connection.
Urges the Department of Agriculture to use all of its authority to enable farmers to stay in business and prevent foreclosure.
Appropriates FY 1988 supplemental funds to the Department of Agriculture for: (1) salaries and expenses of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service; and (2) watershed and flood prevention operations of the Soil Conservation Service. Derives the additional funds in both cases through fund transfers.
Appropriates FY 1988 supplemental amounts to the Department of Health and Human Services for salaries and expenses of the Food and Drug Administration for product emergencies and AIDS work.
Appropriates FY 1988 supplemental amounts to the President, to be used by the Department of State for refugee assistance under the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962. Earmarks a minimum amount for Soviet and other Eastern European refugees.
Makes available until expended appropriations enacted in the Department of Commerce Appropriation Act, 1988 for periodic censuses and programs of the Bureau of the Census.
Authorizes transfers of Department of Defense FY 1988 funds to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to fund increased workload relating to the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty implementation.
Permits FY 1988 Department of State appropriations to be used without reimbursement in connection with work done by that Department's inspector general acting as the inspector general of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.
Declares that the Department of Energy's 30-day notice period for congressional review of the sale of the Great Plains gasification plant shall not begin before August 25, 1988.
Amends the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1988 to revise appropriations to the Board for International Broadcasting.
Transfers funds within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to provide supplemental appropriations for research and program management.
Appropriates FY 1988 supplemental funds to the Veterans Administration for compensation and pensions.
Title II: General Provisions - Prohibits obligation beyond FY 1988 of any funds appropriated in this Act, unless expressly provided otherwise.
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. 19 actions.
- Aug 14, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-393.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 12, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 11, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment no. 25 by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate receded in amendments nos. 1-24 by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Concurred, in Senate Amendment 025 , with Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 013, 014, 015, 016, 017, 018, 019, 020, 021, 022, 023, 024 by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Committee on Rules Granted a Rule Providing for a Motion to Take the Bill From the Speaker's Table and Disagree to Senate Amendments Numbered 1 Through 24 and Concur in Senate Amendment Numbered 25.
- Aug 10, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate insists on its amendments, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Stennis; Byrd; Proxmire; Inouye; Hollings; Chiles; Johnston; Burdick; DeConcini; Lautenberg; Hatfield; Stevens; Weicker; Garn; Cochran; Kasten; Rudman; Domenici; D'Amato.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Aug 4, 1988FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Aug 2, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Appropriations Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Appropriations Committee
- Jul 27, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 357 - 54 (Record Vote No: 241).House roll call 241
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee
- Jul 26, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Appropriations Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Appropriations Committee
- Jul 13, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Appropriations 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.