A joint resolution to provide for the designation of the year 1982 as the "Bicentennial Year of the American Bald Eagle" and the designation of June 20, 1982, as "National Bald Eagle Day".
Public Law 97-139 · S.J.Res. 121 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 29, 1981 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Sen. John Chafee (R-RI)
Cosponsors (49): Sen. George Mitchell, Sen. Howell Heflin,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Requests the President to designate 1982 as Bicentennial Year of the American Bald Eagle and June 20, 1982, as National Bald Eagle Day.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · discharged from, referred to
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. 12 actions.
- Dec 29, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-139.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 22, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 16, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Dec 15, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Dec 8, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Nov 9, 1981CommitteeCommittee · 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.