InsideGov
Congress · Laws

A joint resolution designating the square dance as the national folk dance of the United States.

Public Law 97-188 · S.J.Res. 59 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jun 1, 1982 · Commemorations

Sponsor: Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV)

Cosponsors (31): 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.

Report a correction

Summary

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

Designates the square dance as the national folk dance of the United States for 1982 and 1983.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Census and Population Subcommittee
  • Judiciary Committee · Senate · 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.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.

  1. Jun 1, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-188.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. May 20, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. May 19, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment. By Voice Vote.
  5. May 11, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  7. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  8. Oct 5, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Census and Population Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  9. Sep 25, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
  10. Sep 23, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Judiciary Committee
  12. Mar 30, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  13. 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.

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.