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Defense Production Act Amendments of 1984

Public Law 98-265 · S. 1852 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Apr 17, 1984 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Sen. Paul Trible (R-VA)

Cosponsors: None

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.

Defense Production Act Amendments of 1984 - Amends the Defense Production Act of 1950 to extend its expiration date for two and one-half years, from March 30, 1984, to the end of FY 1986.

Sets forth the criteria under which the President may authorize the guarantee of loans to defense contractors, including: (1) the essentiality of the material or service to the national defense; (2) industry's need for such a guarantee before providing the necessary capability; (3) the cost-effectiveness of the guarantee, considering the alternatives; and (4) that defense demand is equal to or greater than the output of domestic industrial capability which is reasonably determined to be available for national defense.

Sets forth similar criteria for loans to private business enterprises and the purchase of raw materials under such Act. (The criteria set forth are the existing Department of Defense criteria for evaluating project proposals under title III of the Defense Production Act.)

Eliminates the legislative veto provisions from such Act requiring instead that Congress approve proposed loan guarantees, loans, or purchases through the authorization and budget process with established thresholds for appropriations.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 and 1986.

Directs the President to make annual reports to the appropriate congressional committees on the impact of offsets on the defense preparedness, industrial competitiveness, employment, and trade of the United States.

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. 26 actions.

  1. Apr 17, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-265.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Apr 12, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Apr 10, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Rule Passed House, Waiving Points of Order on Conference Report.
  7. Apr 9, 1984FloorFloor · Committee on Rules Granted Waiving all Points of Order Against the Conference Report for Failure to Comply with the Provisions of Clause 3 of Rule XXVIII.
  8. Apr 5, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  9. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  10. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 98-651 Filed in House.
  11. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 98-651 Filed in House.
  12. Apr 3, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Garn; Trible; Proxmire.
  13. FloorFloor · Senate insists on its amendments to the House amendment by Voice Vote.
  14. Mar 20, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: St Germain, Minish, LaFalce, Lundine, Oakar, Vento, Wylie, Bethune, Shumway.
  15. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments by Voice Vote.
  16. Oct 7, 1983Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in House amendment with an amendment. By Voice Vote.
  17. Oct 6, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  18. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  19. Oct 4, 1983FloorFloor · Failed to Receive 2/3's Vote to Suspend and Pass by Yea-Nay Vote: 233 - 168 (Record Vote No: 378).House roll call 378
  20. FloorFloor · Failed of passage/not agreed to in House: Failed to Receive 2/3's Vote to Suspend and Pass by Yea-Nay Vote: 233 - 168 (Record Vote No: 378).House roll call 378
  21. Sep 30, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  22. Sep 29, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
  23. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
  24. Sep 19, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
  25. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
  26. Sep 15, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
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.