A bill to amend the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930, by impressing a trust on the commodities and sales proceeds of perishable agricultural commodities for the benefit of the unpaid seller, and for other purposes.
Public Law 98-273 · H.R. 3867 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on May 7, 1984 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Rep. Kika de la Garza (D-TX-15)
Cosponsors (36): Rep. Edward Madigan, Rep. Leon Panetta,
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.
Amends the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, 1930 to impress a trust on behalf of an unpaid seller or supplier on the inventories, commodities, or proceeds from the sale of such commodities held by a commission merchant, dealer, or broker. States that payment shall not be considered to have been made if the supplier, seller, or agent receives a payment instrument which is dishonored. Exempts cooperative association-member transactions from such provisions.
States that an unpaid seller or supplier shall lose such trust benefits unless he or she: (1) gives written notice of intent to preserve such benefits to the commission dealer or agent; and (2) files such notice with the Secretary of Agriculture within specified times.
Vests U.S. district courts with jurisdiction over actions to preserve a trust or to enforce a trust beneficiary's payment. Makes a failure to properly maintain a seller trust a violation of such Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Agriculture Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relations, and Nutrition 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. 12 actions.
- May 7, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-273.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Apr 26, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Apr 13, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Nov 15, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Nov 12, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
- Nov 8, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relations, and Nutrition Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relations, and Nutrition Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- Sep 19, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Domestic Marketing, Consumer Relations, and Nutrition Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee
- Sep 13, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture 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.