An act to amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to improve health care services and educational services through telecommunications, and for other purposes.
Public Law 102-551 · H.R. 5954 · 102nd Congress · began in the House
Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Oct 28, 1992 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Rep. Glenn English (D-OK-6)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to direct the Administrator of the Rural Electrification Administration to: (1) encourage the development of consortia to provide health care or educational services through telecommunications in rural areas of a qualified local exchange carrier service area; and (2) provide grants ($1.5 million maximum award, three-year maximum disbursement) for such purposes.
Provides for expedited telephone loans for local exchange carrier service areas.
Extends the termination date for certain distance learning and medical link programs provisions of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990.
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. 18 actions.
- Oct 28, 1992Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 102-551.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 19, 1992PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 6, 1992Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. de la Garza asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendments.
- Oct 5, 1992FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Amendment SP 3403 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Sep 30, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Sep 29, 1992FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. English moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
- Sep 24, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
- Sep 16, 1992CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.