To extend into fiscal year 1999 the visa processing period for diversity applicants whose visa processing was suspended during fiscal year 1998 due to embassy bombings.
Public Law 105-360 · H.R. 4821 · 105th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 10, 1998 · Immigration
Sponsor: Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX-21)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Extends the visa processing period for certain diversity (immigrant) applicants whose visa processing was suspended due to the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · 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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 10 actions.
- Nov 10, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-360.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 2, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 21, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 15, 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. Gekas moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Oct 14, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Oct 13, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary 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.