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Presidential Transitions Effectiveness Act

Public Law 100-398 · H.R. 3932 · 100th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 17, 1988 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Jack Brooks (D-TX-9)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Frank Horton

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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

(House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment)

Presidential Transitions Effectiveness Act - Amends the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to increase the authorized appropriations to the Administrator of General Services to provide services and facilities to: (1) the President-elect and Vice President-elect in connection with the preparation of their assumption of official duties; and (2) the former President and former Vice President in connection with winding up their affairs.

Requires that a specified amount be returned to the Treasury if the former Vice President is the incumbent President.

Requires amounts authorized for presidential transition costs to be increased by an inflation adjusted amount to reflect the actual increases in such costs since the previous presidential transition.

Requires the President-elect and the Vice President-elect to disclose to the Administrator all private money received for use in their preparation for the assumption of official duties. Requires the Administrator to make such disclosures public.

Requires the President-elect and the Vice President-elect to disclose to the public a list of the names of all transition personnel and the most recent employment and source of funding which support the transition activities of such personnel. Requires public disclosures to be made before the initial transition team contacts a Federal department or agency.

Prohibits the President-elect and the Vice President-elect from accepting more than $5,000 from any person, organization, or other entity for transition purposes.

Authorizes the use of Government aircraft for transition purposes, on a reimbursable basis, if requested by the President-elect or the Vice President-elect, or their designee, and approved by the President. Provides that when the President-elect or the Vice President-elect request the use of a chartered aircraft, any collections received from persons occupying space on such aircraft shall be deposited to the credit of appropriations for presidential transitions.

Requires the President-elect and Vice President-elect to provide an estimate to the Administrator of the aggregate value of in-kind contributions made between November 9, 1988, and January 20, 1989, which were received for transition planning purposes for: (1) transportation; (2) hotel and other accommodations; (3) office space; and (4) furniture, furnishings, office machines and equipment, and office supplies. Requires the Administrator to make such information available to the public.

Authorizes the payment of certain travel and transportation expenses for any individual performing presidential transition activities.

Authorizes the President to fill executive agency vacancies for not more than 120 days (under current law, not more than 30 days), unless a nomination to fill such vacancy has been submitted to the Senate. Declares that if such nomination has been made, the designated person may serve: (1) until the Senate confirms the nomination; (2) for not more than 120 days after the Senate rejects the nomination or the nomination is withdrawn; or (3) if designated when the Congress has adjourned sine die, for no more than 120 days after the Congress next convenes.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.

  1. Aug 17, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-398.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Aug 10, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Aug 2, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Jul 26, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  6. Apr 29, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 2037 with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  7. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  8. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  9. Apr 11, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  10. Mar 31, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 374 - 15 (Record Vote No: 51).House roll call 51
  11. Mar 30, 1988FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
  12. Mar 25, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  13. Mar 22, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  14. Mar 16, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  17. Feb 19, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  18. Feb 9, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  19. 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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.