Congress · Laws

Pretrial Services Act of 1982

Public Law 97-267 · S. 923 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 27, 1982 · Crime and Law Enforcement

Sponsor: Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE)

Cosponsors (1): Sen. Charles Mathias

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 367 yea, 20 nay367–20
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.

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Summary

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

Pretrial Services Act of 1982 - Requires the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to establish, under the supervision of the Judicial Conference of the United States, directly or by contract, a pretrial services agency (PSA) in each judicial district as recommended by the appropriate district court and circuit judicial council. (Current law authorizes such agencies on a demonstration basis in ten representative districts.)

Places such agencies under the general authority of the Director and under the supervision of a chief pretrial services officer selected by the chief judge of the district court. (Current law places five agencies under the Office's Division of Probation and five under an independent Board of Trustees).

Requires, rather than permits, regulations issued by the Director relating to the confidentiality of information contained in agencies' files to provide for certain exceptions.

Continues generally the existing functions and powers of the PSA (including the discretion of the district courts to determine which shall be performed), and adds four new duties: (1) informing the court and the U.S. attorney of any danger the person may pose to another person or the community; (2) developing a system to monitor and evaluate bail activities; (3) preparing, pursuant to agreements, reports for the U.S. Attorneys Offices on information pertaining to pretrial diversion; and (4) making contracts to carry out their functions.

Requires the Director to include in the annual report to the Judicial Conference a report on the operation of each agency and to transmit a copy of such report to Congress.

Authorizes appropriations for the PSAs for fiscal years 1983 and 1984.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 97th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 367 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

367 yea20 nay45 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(208)

Rep. Bill ClayD-MO-1
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Tom HarkinD-IA-5
Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
Rep. George CrockettD-MI-13
Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
Rep. Shirley ChisholmD-NY-12
Rep. Mervyn DymallyD-CA-31
Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
Rep. Phillip BurtonD-CA-6
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-19
Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Harold FordD-TN-8
Rep. John SeiberlingD-OH-14
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-21
Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9
Rep. William BrodheadD-MI-17
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Harold WashingtonD-IL-1
Rep. Jonathan BinghamD-NY-22
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Paul SimonD-IL-24
Rep. Matthew MartínezD-CA-30
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-13
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-12
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. James ShannonD-MA-5
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-11
Rep. Richard OttingerD-NY-24
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. William CoyneD-PA-14
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4
Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. James HowardD-NJ-3
Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. Robert EdgarD-PA-7
Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-7
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-16
Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. Albert GoreD-TN-4
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-15
Rep. Barbara MikulskiD-MD-3
Rep. Raymond KogovsekD-CO-3
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
Rep. Robert MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. Geraldine FerraroD-NY-9
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. Donald BaileyD-PA-21
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
Rep. Charles PriceD-IL-23
Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-15
Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-27
Rep. Joseph SmithD-PA-3
Rep. Mario BiaggiD-NY-10
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. James WeaverD-OR-4
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3
Rep. Peter PeyserD-NY-23
Rep. John FaryD-IL-5
Rep. Joseph MinishD-NJ-11
Rep. Gillis LongD-LA-8
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12
Rep. William RatchfordD-CT-5
Rep. Tom LantosD-CA-11
Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-37
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. Leslie AspinD-WI-1
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-22
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Charles DowdyD-MS-4
Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
Rep. Jerry PattersonD-CA-38
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-36
Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
Rep. Stanley LundineD-NY-39
Rep. Robert ShamanskyD-OH-12
Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Cecil HeftelD-HI-1
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND
Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
Rep. Donald AlbostaD-MI-10
Rep. Wyche FowlerD-GA-5
Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
Rep. David BowenD-MS-2
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Tom DaschleD-SD-1
Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
Rep. Michael BarnesD-MD-8
Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
Rep. Berkley BedellD-IA-6
Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. Clarence LongD-MD-2
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
Rep. William BonerD-TN-5
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. Ed JonesD-TN-7
Rep. James JonesD-OK-1
Rep. Bo GinnD-GA-1
Rep. Ike AndrewsD-NC-4
Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
Rep. Abraham KazenD-TX-23
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-28
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
Rep. Bill HefnerD-NC-8
Rep. Norman D’AmoursD-NH-1
Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. Royden DysonD-MD-1
Rep. Daniel MicaD-FL-11
Rep. Kenneth HollandD-SC-5
Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-2
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Don FuquaD-FL-2
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. Charles WhitleyD-NC-3
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-9
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-10
Rep. Jack BrinkleyD-GA-3
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. William PatmanD-TX-14
Rep. Carroll HubbardD-KY-1
Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Ike SkeltonD-MO-4
Rep. Andrew JacobsD-IN-11
Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
Rep. Earl HuttoD-FL-1
Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
Rep. Richard WhiteD-TX-16
Rep. Ed JenkinsD-GA-9
Rep. Elliott LevitasD-GA-4
Rep. Jack HightowerD-TX-13
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. William NicholsD-AL-3
Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
Rep. Kent HanceD-TX-19
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. John BreauxD-LA-7
Rep. Ronald MottlD-OH-23
Rep. Thomas HuckabyD-LA-5
Rep. Ralph HallD-TX-4
Rep. Sam HallD-TX-1
Rep. Billy TauzinD-LA-3
Rep. Andy IrelandD-FL-8
Rep. Richard ShelbyD-AL-7
Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
Rep. Charlie StenholmD-TX-17
Rep. Dan DanielD-VA-5
Rep. Buddy RoemerD-LA-4

Republicans who voted yea(158)

Rep. Harold HollenbeckR-NJ-9
Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-18
Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-12
Rep. Lawrence DeNardisR-CT-3
Rep. Margaret HecklerR-MA-10
Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Marc MarksR-PA-24
Rep. Charles DoughertyR-PA-4
Rep. Stewart McKinneyR-CT-4
Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-34
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
Rep. Lyle WilliamsR-OH-19
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-25
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Eugene AtkinsonR-PA-25
Rep. Thomas RailsbackR-IL-19
Rep. Donald MitchellR-NY-31
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. Huey DeckardR-IN-8
Rep. James NelliganR-PA-11
Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-17
Rep. William WamplerR-VA-9
Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Arlen ErdahlR-MN-1
Rep. Harold SawyerR-MI-5
Rep. Millicent FenwickR-NJ-5
Rep. David EmeryR-ME-1
Rep. Donald ClausenR-CA-2
Rep. Jack EdwardsR-AL-1
Rep. Thomas EvansR-DE
Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-17
Rep. Paul FindleyR-IL-20
Rep. Pete McCloskeyR-CA-12
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
Rep. John NapierR-SC-6
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-7
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
Rep. James DunnR-MI-6
Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
Rep. James QuillenR-TN-1
Rep. John RhodesR-AZ-1
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. David MarriottR-UT-2
Rep. Guy Vander JagtR-MI-9
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. James CourterR-NJ-13
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. James CoyneR-PA-8
Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. Paul TribleR-VA-1
Rep. Marion SnyderR-KY-4
Rep. George WhitehurstR-VA-2
Rep. Lynn MartinR-IL-16
Rep. Bobbi FiedlerR-CA-21
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. William CarneyR-NY-1
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. Edward WeberR-OH-9
Rep. George WortleyR-NY-32
Rep. W. Bill YoungR-FL-6
Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
Rep. Charles PashayanR-CA-17
Rep. David MartinR-NY-30
Rep. Robin BeardR-TN-6
Rep. John MyersR-IN-7
Rep. Edward MadiganR-IL-21
Rep. Toby RothR-WI-8
Rep. Cleveland BenedictR-WV-2
Rep. Larry WinnR-KS-3
Rep. Edwin BethuneR-AR-2
Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
Rep. Thomas EvansR-IA-3
Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
Rep. Virginia SmithR-NE-3
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-19
Rep. Carroll CampbellR-SC-4
Rep. Joseph SkeenR-NM-2
Rep. Robert LivingstonR-LA-1
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-1
Rep. William MooreR-LA-6
Rep. Bob McEwenR-OH-6
Rep. Ronald MarleneeR-MT-2
Rep. Arlan StangelandR-MN-7
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Jack KempR-NY-38
Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
Rep. Clay ShawR-FL-12
Rep. Hal DaubR-NE-2
Rep. Robert WhittakerR-KS-5
Rep. John ErlenbornR-IL-14
Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
Rep. Thomas CorcoranR-IL-15
Rep. David StatonR-WV-3
Rep. Donald RitterR-PA-15
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-42
Rep. Trent LottR-MS-5
Rep. Gregory CarmanR-NY-3
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. Thomas HagedornR-MN-2
Rep. Eugene ChappieR-CA-1
Rep. Bud ShusterR-PA-9
Rep. John LeBoutillierR-NY-6
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. Robert DanielR-VA-4
Rep. Clair BurgenerR-CA-43
Rep. James MartinR-NC-9
Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
Rep. Kenneth KramerR-CO-5
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. Eldon RuddR-AZ-4
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-37
Rep. Daniel CoatsR-IN-4
Rep. Barber ConableR-NY-35
Rep. Thomas LoefflerR-TX-21
Rep. Mark SiljanderR-MI-4
Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
Rep. James BroyhillR-NC-10
Rep. William GoodlingR-PA-19
Rep. Mickey EdwardsR-OK-5
Rep. Marjorie HoltR-MD-4
Rep. Robert DornanR-CA-27
Rep. Clint RobertsR-SD-2
Rep. Judd GreggR-NH-2
Rep. Thomas KindnessR-OH-8
Rep. Delbert LattaR-OH-5
Rep. Edward DerwinskiR-IL-4
Rep. Wayne GrishamR-CA-33
Rep. John WeberR-MN-6
Rep. Carlos MoorheadR-CA-22
Rep. John HilerR-IN-3
Rep. Richard CheneyR-WY
Rep. Albert SmithR-AL-6
Rep. Thomas HartnettR-SC-1
Rep. James HansenR-UT-1
Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Rep. Daniel LungrenR-CA-34
Rep. Larry CraigR-ID-1
Rep. Bill ArcherR-TX-7
Rep. Gerald SolomonR-NY-29
Rep. Norman ShumwayR-CA-14
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. John RousselotR-CA-26
Rep. Robert WalkerR-PA-16
Rep. William DannemeyerR-CA-39
Rep. David DreierR-CA-35

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 662 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. 1 yea vote was cast by members of neither major party and is highlighted on the compass but not listed. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

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

Judiciary Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported by

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

Sep 27, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-267.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Sep 16, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Sep 15, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 367 - 20 (Record Vote No: 326).House roll call 326
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 367 - 20 (Record Vote No: 326).House roll call 326
Sep 8, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 97-792 Filed in House.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 97-792 Filed in House.
Aug 20, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
Aug 18, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Thurmond; Mathias; Laxalt; Biden; Leahy.
FloorFloor · Senate disagreed to the House amendment. By Voice Vote.
May 11, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Rodino, Hughes, Conyers, Kastenmeier, Glickman, McClory, Sawyer, Fish.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
Jun 18, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
May 15, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
May 12, 1981CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
Apr 8, 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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.