Effective Prosecution of Possession of Biological Toxins and Agents Act of 2019
Public Law 116-31 · S. 744 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Jul 25, 2019 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Cosponsors (3): Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. John Cornyn,
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.
Effective Prosecution of Possession of Biological Toxins and Agents Act of 2019
This bill revises the criminal prohibition on the shipment, transport, possession, or receipt of a biological agent or toxin by a restricted person. Specifically, it updates references to the lists of agents and toxins covered by the prohibition.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Crime and Federal Government Surveillance 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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1986Identical billRelated bill
Effective Prosecution of Possession of Biological Toxins and Agents Act of 2019
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 16 actions.
- Jul 25, 2019Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-31.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 15, 2019FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jul 10, 2019FloorFloor · 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 · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 744.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Bass moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- May 31, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
- May 20, 2019FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- May 16, 2019FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 12, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.