InsideGov
Congress · Laws

A resolution to provide for a temporary increase in the public debt limit.

Public Law 96-556 · H.J.Res. 570 · 96th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 19, 1980 · Economics and Public Finance

Cosponsors: None

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.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Amends the Second Liberty Bond Act to temporarily increase the public debt limit for fiscal year 1981 by $535,100,000,000.

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.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 11 actions.

  1. Dec 19, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  2. PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-556.
  3. Dec 15, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
  4. PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
  5. PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
  6. Dec 12, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
  7. Dec 4, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Finance Committee
  8. Jun 13, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
  9. FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
  10. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Finance Committee
  11. 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.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.