A bill to continue the transition provisions of the Bankruptcy Act until May 1, 1984, and for other purposes.
Public Law 98-249 · S. 2507 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Mar 31, 1984 · Finance and Financial Sector
Sponsor: Sen. Howard Baker (R-TN)
Cosponsors (4): Sen. Strom Thurmond, Sen. Robert Dole,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateRecorded vote: 78 yea, 0 nay78–0
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.
Amends the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 to extend the transition period established by such Act from April 1, 1984, to May 1, 1984.
Extends the term of office of any bankruptcy judge who was serving on March 31, 1984, and of any bankruptcy judge who is serving on the date of the enactment of this Act, to May 1, 1984.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 98th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 78 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
78 yea0 nay22 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(33)
- Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
- Sen. William ProxmireD-WI
Sen. Carl LevinD-MI- Sen. John MelcherD-MT
- Sen. Paul SarbanesD-MD
- Sen. Donald RiegleD-MI
Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT- Sen. Dale BumpersD-AR
- Sen. James SasserD-TN
- Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
- Sen. Spark MatsunagaD-HI
- Sen. Thomas EagletonD-MO
Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE- Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI- Sen. George MitchellD-ME
Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM
Sen. Max BaucusD-MT
Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV- Sen. David PryorD-AR
- Sen. Daniel MoynihanD-NY
- Sen. Jennings RandolphD-WV
- Sen. John GlennD-OH
- Sen. Alan DixonD-IL
- Sen. Lawton ChilesD-FL
- Sen. James ExonD-NE
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
- Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
- Sen. Russell LongD-LA
- Sen. David BorenD-OK
- Sen. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. Howell HeflinD-AL
- Sen. Edward ZorinskyD-NE
Republicans who voted yea(45)
- Sen. Mark AndrewsR-ND
- Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
- Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA- Sen. William CohenR-ME
- Sen. Larry PresslerR-SD
- Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
- Sen. Henry HeinzR-PA
- Sen. John ChafeeR-RI
- Sen. Alfonse D’AmatoR-NY
- Sen. Rudy BoschwitzR-MN
- Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
- Sen. David DurenbergerR-MN
- Sen. Nancy KassebaumR-KS
- Sen. John DanforthR-MO
Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM- Sen. Daniel EvansR-WA
Sen. John WarnerR-VA- Sen. Slade GortonR-WA
- Sen. Robert KastenR-WI
- Sen. Paul TribleR-VA
- Sen. William RothR-DE
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK- Sen. Howard BakerR-TN
- Sen. Alan SimpsonR-WY
- Sen. James AbdnorR-SD
- Sen. Mack MattinglyR-GA
- Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
- Sen. Warren RudmanR-NH
- Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
- Sen. Pete WilsonR-CA
Sen. Richard LugarR-IN- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Don NicklesR-OK
- Sen. Paul LaxaltR-NV
- Sen. Jacob HechtR-NV
Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT- Sen. Gordon HumphreyR-NH
- Sen. Jake GarnR-UT
- Sen. James McClureR-ID
- Sen. Malcolm WallopR-WY
- Sen. Jesse HelmsR-NC
- Sen. John EastR-NC
- Sen. Barry GoldwaterR-AZ
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 416 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. 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.
Committees
The record shows no committee referral for this bill.
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. 8 actions.
- Mar 31, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-249.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Mar 30, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 78-0. Record Vote No: 45.Senate roll call 45
- 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.