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A joint resolution to provide for appointment of Samuel Curtis Johnson as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Public Law 98-208 · H.J.Res. 381 · 98th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 5, 1983 · Arts, Culture, Religion

Sponsor: Rep. Edward Boland (D-MA-2)

Cosponsors (2): Rep. Silvio Conte,

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.

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Summary

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

Appoints Samuel Curtis Johnson to the vacancy on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 10 actions.

  1. Dec 5, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-208.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 23, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 18, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Nov 17, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  7. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Committee on House Administration
  8. Nov 16, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Committee on House Administration
  9. Oct 4, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
  10. 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.

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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.