A bill to continue in effect any authority provided under the Department of Justice Appropriation Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1980, for a certain period, and for other purposes.
Public Law 97-76 · H.R. 4608 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 5, 1981 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Peter Rodino (D-NJ-10)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
(House receded and concurred in Senate amendment with an amendment)
Continues in effect any authority or limitation provided under the Department of Justice Appropriation Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1980, until the earlier of: (1) the effective date of a general authorization of appropriations act for the Department for fiscal year 1982; or (2) February 1, 1982.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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. 14 actions.
- Nov 5, 1981Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-76.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 4, 1981PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 30, 1981Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments to Senate amendments by Voice Vote.
- Oct 27, 1981Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 7, 1981FloorFloor · Senate insists on its amendments by Voice Vote.
- Oct 6, 1981Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 30, 1981FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Sep 29, 1981FloorFloor · Received in the Senate held at the desk by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
- Sep 28, 1981CommitteeCommittee · 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.