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Aviation Drug-Trafficking Control Act

Public Law 98-499 · S. 1146 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 19, 1984 · Transportation and Public Works

Sponsor: Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX)

Cosponsors (15): Sen. Dennis DeConcini,

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.

Aviation Drug-Trafficking Control Act - Amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revoke the airman certificate of any person who has been convicted of violations of State or Federal law relating to controlled substances (other than simple possession). Requires the Administrator to revoke the airman certificate of any person who has knowingly transported any controlled substance, where such transportation is prohibited. Prohibits the Administrator from reissuing any revoked certificate for a period of five years. Grants the Secretary discretionary authority to reissue such certificate in certain circumstances before the end of a five-year period, but not before the end of the first year after revocation.

Requires the Administrator to revoke the certificate of registration of an owner of an aircraft if it is determined that such aircraft has been used to transport controlled substances illegally. Sets forth certificate reissuance guidelines similar to those for the reissuance of airman certificates.

Provides criminal penalties for violations of this Act, including selling or using fraudulent certificates.

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. 25 actions.

  1. Oct 19, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-499.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 9, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 4, 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. Oct 2, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  8. Sep 26, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 98-1085 Filed in House.
  9. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 98-1085 Filed in House.
  10. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  11. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  12. Sep 6, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Packwood; Goldwater; Kassebaum; Hollings; Exon.
  13. FloorFloor · Senate disagreed to the House amendment. By Voice Vote.
  14. Jul 24, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Mineta, Anderson, Roe, Snyder, Hammerschmidt.
  15. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Amendments by Voice Vote.
  16. FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  17. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  18. Oct 11, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  19. Sep 28, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  20. Sep 27, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  21. Sep 15, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  22. Aug 2, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  23. Jul 21, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  24. Apr 26, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
  25. 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.

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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.