A bill to delay the effective date of proposed amendments to Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Public Law 97-227 · H.R. 6663 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 2, 1982 · Law
Sponsor: Rep. Don Edwards (D-CA-10)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Robert McClory
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.
Postpones until October 1, 1983, the effective date of amendments to rule four (relating to service of process) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, unless previously approved, disapproved, or modified by Act of Congress.
States that this Act shall be effective as of August 1, 1982, but shall not apply to service of process taking place between August 1, 1982, and enactment.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Criminal Justice Subcommittee
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.
- Aug 2, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-227.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 29, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jul 28, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jul 27, 1982FloorFloor · Ordered held at the desk until the close of business July 28, l982. By Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 26, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jul 23, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 20, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Criminal Justice Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Jun 28, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Jun 23, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary 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.