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To designate the period commencing on November 20, 1989, and ending on November 26, 1989, as "National Adoption Week".

Public Law 101-169 · H.J.Res. 278 · 101st Congress · began in the House

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Nov 21, 1989 · Commemorations

Sponsor: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-4)

Cosponsors (223): Rep. Gary Ackerman,

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.

Designates the period of November 20 through November 26, 1989, as National Adoption Week.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Census and Population Subcommittee
  • Judiciary Committee · Senate · discharged from, referred to
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. 14 actions.

  1. Nov 21, 1989Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 101-169.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 15, 1989PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 14, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Judiciary Committee
  5. Nov 13, 1989FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
  6. Oct 25, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  7. Oct 24, 1989FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · Mr. Sawyer asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
  10. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  12. May 23, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Census and Population Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  13. May 18, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  14. 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.