A joint resolution to designate the period commencing January 1, 1983, and ending December 31, 1983, as the "Tricentennial Anniversary Year of German Settlement in America".
Public Law 97-472 · S.J.Res. 260 · 97th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jan 14, 1983 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Sen. Henry Heinz (R-PA)
Cosponsors (37): Sen. Robert Dole, Sen. Pete Domenici,
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.
Designates 1983 as the Tricentennial Anniversary Year of German Settlement in America.
Expresses congressional support for the President's Youth Exchange Initiative, and especially the concept of a United States-German teenage exchange sponsored by the Congress and the West German Bundestag.
Establishes the Presidential Commission for the German-American Tricentennial to coordinate the commemoration of the Tricentennial. Directs that all expenditures by the Commission be made from donated funds. Requires a report from the Commission by, and terminates the Commission on, January 31, 1984.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · 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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 10 actions.
- Jan 14, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-472.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jan 3, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 19, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment by Voice Vote.
- Dec 17, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Oct 1, 1982FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service 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.