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Urgent Assistance for Democracy in Panama Act of 1990

Public Law 101-243 · H.R. 3952 · 101st Congress · began in the House

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Feb 14, 1990 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Rep. Dante Fascell (D-FL-19)

Cosponsors (30): Rep. Sam Gejdenson,

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.

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Summary

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

Urgent Assistance for Democracy in Panama Act of 1990 - Title I: Panama - Authorizes funds to Panama for: (1) economic assistance programs; (2) certain guaranteed assistance relating to housing and trade credit insurance programs; and (3) certain law enforcement assistance (including military assistance).

Provides for the resumption of U.S. assistance to Panama under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and certain trade benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences and the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act because of such country's cooperation in controlling narcotics trafficking.

Title II: Eastern Europe and Yugoslavia - Authorizes the use of certain funds under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 relating to the economic support fund to support the democratization in East European countries and Yugoslavia.

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. 21 actions.

  1. Feb 15, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Financial Institutions Supervision, Regulation and Deposit Insurance Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
  2. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Domestic and International Monetary Policy Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
  3. Feb 14, 1990Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 101-243.
  4. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  5. Feb 9, 1990PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  6. Feb 7, 1990FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 2073 without amendment by Voice Vote.
  7. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  8. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  10. FloorFloor · On ordering a second Agreed to without objection.
  11. FloorFloor · Mr. Broomfield demanded a second on the motion to suspend the rules.
  12. FloorFloor · Mr. Fascell moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Foreign Affairs Committee
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Ways and Means Committee
  15. Feb 6, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Appropriations Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Financial Services Committee
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Foreign Affairs Committee
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Ways and Means Committee
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
  21. 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.