An act to authorize appropriations for the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 and the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 for fiscal year 1984 and fiscal year 1985, and for other purposes.
Public Law 98-241 · S. 820 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Mar 22, 1984 · Emergency Management
Sponsor: Sen. Slade Gorton (R-WA)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Robert Packwood
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.
Title I: Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program - Amends the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 to authorize appropriations for FY 1984 and 1985 for: (1) the national earthquake hazards reduction program; (2) the annual Presidential report on such program; (3) the U.S. Geological Survey; (4) the National Science Foundation; (5) the National Bureau of Standards; and (6) specified required adjustments in salaries and benefits as set forth in such Act.
Title II: Fire Prevention and Control - Amends the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize appropriations for FY 1984 and 1985 to carry out such Act. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1984 and 1985 for specified required adjustments in salaries and benefits as set forth in such Act. Transfers from the Secretary of Defense to the Federal Emergency Management Agency the authority to grant public safety awards to civilian defense personnel.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that special recognition be made of volunteer fire companies for their contribution to the public safety.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Mining and Natural Resources 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. 15 actions.
- Mar 22, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-241.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 13, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Mar 8, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments. By Voice Vote.
- Feb 1, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Apr 21, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Mining and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 11, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- Apr 7, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Mar 31, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Mar 22, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Mar 16, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation 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.