A joint resolution changing the date for the counting of the electoral votes in 1985.
Public Law 98-456 · H.J.Res. 649 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 9, 1984 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. James Wright (D-TX-12)
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Changes the day upon which electoral votes shall be counted from January 6, 1985, to January 7, 1985.
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. 6 actions.
- Oct 9, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-456.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 27, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 25, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
- Sep 19, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- 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.