A bill to amend chapter 45 of title 28, United States Code, to authorize the Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice to accept voluntary services, and for other purposes.
Public Law 105-233 · S. 2143 · 105th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Aug 13, 1998 · Law
Sponsor: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Patrick Leahy
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
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 Federal judicial code to authorize the Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice, with the Chief Justice's approval, to accept voluntary personal services to assist with public and visitor programs.
Prohibits any person from volunteering such services without first agreeing in writing to waive any claim against the United States arising out of or in connection with such services.
Provides that no person volunteering such services shall be considered to be an employee of the United States except for purposes of provisions governing Federal workers' compensation and tort claims against the United States.
Directs the Administrative Assistant to ensure that the acceptance of personal services shall not result in the reduction of pay or displacement of any employee of the Supreme Court.
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. 11 actions.
- Aug 13, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-233.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 10, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 3, 1998FloorFloor · 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. Coble moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jul 16, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 9, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Jun 9, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · 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.