Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 (the Proxmire Act)
Public Law 100-606 · S. 1851 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 4, 1988 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE)
Cosponsors (58): Sen. William Proxmire, Sen. Howard Metzenbaum,
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.
Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987 (The Proxmire Act) - Amends the Federal criminal code to establish the criminal offense of genocide (specified acts committed with the specific intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group). Sets forth penalties to be imposed upon anyone who commits or attempts to commit any of such acts (a fine of $1,000,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 20 years, and life imprisonment if group members are killed). Sets forth criminal penalties (a fine of $500,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five years) for directly and publicly inciting an act of genocide.
States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to: (1) preclude the application of State or local laws to the conduct proscribed; or (2) create any substantive or procedural right enforceable by law by any party in any proceeding.
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.
- Nov 4, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-606.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 27, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 19, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- Oct 14, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- May 11, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Apr 14, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Feb 19, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Nov 5, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary 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.