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To extend the date by which an automated entry-exit control system must be developed.

Public Law 105-259 · H.R. 4658 · 105th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 15, 1998 · Immigration

Sponsor: Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX-21)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • 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.

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Summary

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

Amends the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 1997 to extend until October 15, 1998, the deadline for the Attorney General to develop an automated entry and exit control system (that will collect a record of departure for every alien departing the United States and match the records of departure with the record of the alien's arrival in the United States and enable the Attorney General to identify lawfully admitted nonimmigrants who remain in the United States beyond the period authorized by the Attorney General).

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Judiciary Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement 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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.

  1. Oct 15, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-259.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 14, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 8, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Oct 1, 1998FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (TX) asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
  8. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
  10. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  12. 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.