A bill to repeal outdated size and weight limitations now imposed on the U.S. Postal Service.
Public Law 97-242 · S. 2073 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 24, 1982 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Authorizes the United States Postal Service to change size and weight limitations for mail matter in the same manner as prescribed for changes in mail classification.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · referred to
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services 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 24, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-242.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 13, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 12, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 2, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jul 29, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 18, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- May 28, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Feb 12, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Feb 8, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 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.