A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations to be made available to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for research for the cause, treatment, and prevention of public health emergencies.
Public Law 98-49 · H.R. 2713 · 98th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jul 13, 1983 · Health
Sponsor: Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA-24)
Cosponsors (10): Rep. John Dingell, Rep. Howard Berman,
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 Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, upon determining that a health emergency exists, to make grants and enter into contracts for research into its cause, treatment, or prevention.
Establishes in the Treasury a Public Health Emergency Fund for such purposes. Authorizes $30,000,000 for FY 1984, and for subsequent years such sums as necessary to have $30,000,000 in the Fund at the beginning of each fiscal year.
Requires a report to the appropriate congressional committees on any such expenditures made during a fiscal year.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Commerce Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Health and Environment 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. 13 actions.
- Jul 13, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-49.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 1, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 28, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Jun 13, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- May 16, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- May 12, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- May 10, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- May 9, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Apr 26, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Apr 21, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce 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.