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To designate January 1 as "National Ellis Island Day".

Public Law 102-177 · H.J.Res. 130 · 102nd Congress · began in the House

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Dec 2, 1991 · Commemorations

Sponsor: Rep. Frank Guarini (D-NJ-14)

Cosponsors (218): Rep. Frank Riggs,

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.

Authorizes and requests the President to designate January 1, 1992, as National Ellis Island Day.

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. 15 actions.

  1. Dec 2, 1991Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-177.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 22, 1991PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 19, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Judiciary Committee
  5. Nov 18, 1991FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
  6. Jul 15, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  7. Jul 10, 1991FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  10. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  11. FloorFloor · Mr. Sawyer asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  13. Feb 21, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Census and Population Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  14. Feb 19, 1991CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  15. 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.