Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians Act
Public Law 96-317 · S. 1647 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jul 31, 1980 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Sponsor: Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Cosponsors (21): Sen. Spark Matsunaga, Sen. Samuel Hayakawa,
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.
Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians Act - Establishes the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians to: (1) review the facts and circumstances surrounding the relocation and internment of thousands of American civilians during World War II under Executive Order Numbered 9066 and the impact of that Order on American citizens and resident aliens; (2) review directives of United States military forces requiring the relocation and internment of American citizens, including Aleut civilians and permanent resident aliens of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands; and (3) recommend appropriate remedies.
Directs the Commission: (1) to hold public hearings in appropriate cities of the United States; and (2) to report its findings and recommendations to Congress within one year after its first meeting. Terminates the Commission 90 days after such report is submitted.
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. 13 actions.
- Jul 31, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-317.
- Jul 29, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Jul 28, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jul 24, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- Jul 21, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 5499.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
- May 28, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- May 22, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 15, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Aug 2, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental 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.