A bill to extend the time for commencing actions on behalf of an Indian tribe, band, or group or on behalf of an individual Indian whose land is held in trust or restricted status.
Public Law 96-217 · S. 2222 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Mar 27, 1980 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. John Melcher (D-MT)
Cosponsors (5): Sen. Carl Levin, Sen. George McGovern,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 209 yea, 131 nay209–131
- 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.
Extends the time period within which the United States may commence an action on behalf of an Indian tribe, band, or group, or on behalf of an individual Indian whose land is held in trust or restricted status to December 31, 1982.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, after consultation with the Attorney General, to submit to the Congress, not later than June 30, 1981, legislative proposals to resolve those Indian claims subject to the amendments made by this Act that are not appropriate to resolve by litigation.
Who voted for it
Every House member of the 96th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 211 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
211 yea131 nay89 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(168)
- Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
- Rep. Phillip BurtonD-CA-6
- Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-21
- Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
- Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-19- Rep. Benjamin RosenthalD-NY-8
- Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
- Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
- Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
- Rep. Richard BollingD-MO-5
- Rep. James CormanD-CA-21
- Rep. Edward PattenD-NJ-15
- Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-11
- Rep. Robert EckhardtD-TX-8
- Rep. Paul SimonD-IL-24
- Rep. Jonathan BinghamD-NY-22
- Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-20
- Rep. Shirley ChisholmD-NY-12
- Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
- Rep. Charles DiggsD-MI-13
- Rep. Bennett StewartD-IL-1
- Rep. William LehmanD-FL-13
- Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-15
- Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
- Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9- Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
- Rep. George DanielsonD-CA-30
- Rep. John SeiberlingD-OH-14
- Rep. Charles PriceD-IL-23
- Rep. Lucien NedziD-MI-14
- Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
- Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
- Rep. John BrademasD-IN-3
- Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-14
- Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8- Rep. Richard OttingerD-NY-24
- Rep. William MoorheadD-PA-14
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16- Rep. William BrodheadD-MI-17
- Rep. James ShannonD-MA-5
- Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
- Rep. Lionel Van DeerlinD-CA-42
- Rep. John FaryD-IL-5
- Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
- Rep. Robert DrinanD-MA-4
- Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2- Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24- Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
- Rep. Harold FordD-TN-8
- Rep. William BurlisonD-MO-10
- Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
- Rep. James BlanchardD-MI-18
- Rep. Alvin BaldusD-WI-3
- Rep. Harold JohnsonD-CA-1
- Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
- Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-12
- Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
- Rep. Charles VanikD-OH-22
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7- Rep. Clement ZablockiD-WI-4
- Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-7
- Rep. Albert UllmanD-OR-2
- Rep. Gene MaguireD-NJ-7
- Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
- Rep. Gillis LongD-LA-8
- Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
- Rep. James HowardD-NJ-3
Rep. Barbara MikulskiD-MD-3- Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
- Rep. Edward StackD-FL-12
- Rep. John MurphyD-NY-17
- Rep. Michael BarnesD-MD-8
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4- Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
- Rep. Peter PeyserD-NY-23
- Rep. Harley StaggersD-WV-2
- Rep. Robert MollohanD-WV-1
- Rep. Geraldine FerraroD-NY-9
- Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
- Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12- Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
- Rep. Bob CarrD-MI-6
- Rep. William RatchfordD-CT-5
- Rep. Mario BiaggiD-NY-10
- Rep. Albert GoreD-TN-4
- Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
- Rep. Herbert HarrisD-VA-8
- Rep. Thomas SteedD-OK-4
- Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
- Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
- Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7- Rep. John BurtonD-CA-5
- Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-36
- Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-37
- Rep. James HanleyD-NY-32
- Rep. Donald BaileyD-PA-21
- Rep. Joseph FisherD-VA-10
- Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
- Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
- Rep. Lunsford PreyerD-NC-6
- Rep. William CotterD-CT-1
- Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
- Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
- Rep. Cecil HeftelD-HI-1
- Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
- Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
- Rep. Raymond KogovsekD-CO-3
- Rep. Lester WolffD-NY-6
- Rep. Mendel DavisD-SC-1
- Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
- Rep. Peter KostmayerD-PA-8
- Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
- Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
- Rep. Bo GinnD-GA-1
- Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
- Rep. Ike AndrewsD-NC-4
- Rep. Bill HefnerD-NC-8
- Rep. William BonerD-TN-5
- Rep. James LloydD-CA-35
Rep. Tom HarkinD-IA-5- Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
- Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
- Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
- Rep. James JonesD-OK-1
- Rep. Allen ErtelD-PA-17
- Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
- Rep. Ed JonesD-TN-7
- Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
- Rep. James MattoxD-TX-5
- Rep. Tom DaschleD-SD-1
- Rep. Vonno GudgerD-NC-11
- Rep. James WeaverD-OR-4
- Rep. Edward BeardD-RI-2
- Rep. Abraham KazenD-TX-23
- Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
- Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-2
- Rep. Jerome AmbroD-NY-3
- Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
- Rep. Jack HightowerD-TX-13
- Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
- Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
- Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-10
- Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
- Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
- Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
- Rep. Ed JenkinsD-GA-9
- Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
- Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
- Rep. Jack BrinkleyD-GA-3
- Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
- Rep. Richard WhiteD-TX-16
- Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
- Rep. Elliott LevitasD-GA-4
- Rep. Anthony LeachD-LA-4
- Rep. Kent HanceD-TX-19
- Rep. Eugene AtkinsonD-PA-25
- Rep. Thomas HuckabyD-LA-5
- Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
- Rep. Lawrence FountainD-NC-2
- Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
- Rep. Harold RunnelsD-NM-2
Republicans who voted yea(43)
- Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
- Rep. Margaret HecklerR-MA-10
- Rep. Carl PursellR-MI-2
- Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-34
- Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-26
- Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-12
- Rep. John BuchananR-AL-6
- Rep. Thomas RailsbackR-IL-19
- Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
- Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-25
- Rep. Jack EdwardsR-AL-1
- Rep. Donald MitchellR-NY-31
- Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
- Rep. Donald ClausenR-CA-2
- Rep. James QuillenR-TN-1
- Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
- Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
- Rep. Thomas EvansR-DE
- Rep. William RoyerR-CA-11
- Rep. Mark AndrewsR-ND
- Rep. John RhodesR-AZ-1
- Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
- Rep. Robert McCloryR-IL-13
- Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
- Rep. David MarriottR-UT-2
- Rep. Arlen ErdahlR-MN-1
- Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
- Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-1
- Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
- Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
- Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
- Rep. James AbdnorR-SD-2
- Rep. Tennyson GuyerR-OH-4
- Rep. Jack KempR-NY-38
- Rep. Thomas CorcoranR-IL-15
- Rep. Jon HinsonR-MS-4
- Rep. Clair BurgenerR-CA-43
Rep. Chuck GrassleyR-IA-3- Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
- Rep. Barber ConableR-NY-35
- Rep. Carlos MoorheadR-CA-22
- Rep. Thomas KindnessR-OH-8
- Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Data notes
The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 810 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.
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. 20 actions.
- Mar 27, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-217.
- Mar 25, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Mar 24, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report, roll call #154 (209-131).House roll call 154
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report, roll call #154 (209-131).House roll call 154
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 96-843.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 96-843.
- Mar 19, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Mar 18, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #147 (250-134).House roll call 147
- Mar 6, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Feb 21, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Feb 20, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Feb 7, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Indian Affairs Committee
- Jan 25, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Indian Affairs 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.