A bill to amend the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to increase the authorization for appropriations for fiscal year 1981, and to amend Public Law 93-233 to continue, through August 1, 1981, the cash-out of food stamp program benefits of certain recipients of Supplemental Security Income.
Public Law 97-18 · H.R. 3991 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jun 30, 1981 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Rep. Kika de la Garza (D-TX-15)
Cosponsors (8): Rep. Thomas Foley, Rep. George Brown,
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.
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to increase the authorized appropriations for fiscal year 1981.
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, upon the request of a State, to find that such State's cash payments under the Social Security Act have been specifically increased to include the bonus value of food stamps, for purposes of determining food stamp eligibility for supplemental security income recipients.
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. 10 actions.
- Jun 30, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-18.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 29, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 26, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 23, 1981FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Ways and Means Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Ways and Means Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.