A joint resolution to restore posthumously full rights of citizenship to Jefferson F. Davis.
Public Law 95-466 · S.J.Res. 16 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 17, 1978 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-OR)
Cosponsors (2): Sen. Orrin Hatch, Sen. Strom Thurmond
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
Restores posthumously full rights of United States citizenship to Jefferson Davis, effective December 5, 1868.
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. 14 actions.
- Oct 17, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-466.
- Oct 5, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Oct 3, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Sep 26, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.J. Res. 1041.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
- Apr 28, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Apr 27, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Apr 22, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Jan 25, 1977CommitteeCommittee · 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.