Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Amendments Act of 1991
Public Law 102-173 · S. 1475 · 102nd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Nov 27, 1991 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Sponsor: Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Cosponsors (8): Sen. David Durenberger, Sen. Ted Kennedy,
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.
Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Amendments Act of 1991 - Amends the Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act of 1986 to allow a State system for the protection and advocacy of the rights of persons with developmental disabilities to use its allotment under specified provisions to provide representation to individuals with mental illness in Federal facilities. Defines "facilities" to include hospitals, nursing homes, community facilities for individuals with mental illness, board and care homes, homeless shelters, and jails and prisons.
Modifies requirements concerning: (1) the rights of representatives of such individuals; (2) the circumstances in which the system is accorded access to all the records of certain individuals; (3) the composition and chair of the system's advisory council; (4) availability of the system's grievance procedure to individuals who have received mental health services, family members, and representatives; (5) the composition of the system's governing authority; and (6) the training of system staff.
Authorizes appropriations.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Commerce Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Health and Environment Subcommittee
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. 17 actions.
- Nov 27, 1991Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-173.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 21, 1991PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Nov 19, 1991FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Waxman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Nov 15, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Nov 7, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Oct 23, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Sep 9, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Aug 1, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Jul 31, 1991FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jul 22, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Jul 17, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Jul 16, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Jul 15, 1991IntroducedIntroduced · 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.