An act to establish a National Council on Public Works Improvement to prepare three annual reports on the state of the Nation's infrastructure, to amend the provisions of title 31, United States Code, relating to the President's budget to require it to separately identify and summarize the capital investment expenditures of the United States, and for other purposes.
Public Law 98-501 · S. 1330 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 19, 1984 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. Robert Stafford (R-VT)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Jennings Randolph
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.
Title I: National Council on Public Works Improvement - Public Works Improvement Act of 1984 - Establishes the National Council on Public Works Improvement. Requires such Council, not later than February 15th of each year of 1986 - 1988, to report to the President and Congress on the state of the Nation's infrastructure (the Infrastructure Report). Requires each Infrastructure Report to include: (1) the age and condition of public works improvements and changes in their condition from preceding years; (2) the methods used to finance the construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and maintenance of public works improvements; (3) any trends in methods used to finance such construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, and maintenance; (4) the capacity of public works improvements to sustain current and anticipated economic development and to support a sustained and expanding economy; (5) maintenance needs and projected expenditures for public works improvements; (6) a discussion of infrastructure program priorities; and (7) an analysis of public works improvements to be given to government agencies, public agencies, or units of State or local government. Requires the Council to make certain analyses and recommendations to the President and Congress by September 30, 1985. Requires the Council to convene for its first meeting no earlier than February 15 and no later than April 15 of 1985. Requires each Infrastructure Report submitted to Congress to be referred to the appropriate congressional committees. Establishes an advisory group to provide such assistance and advice as the Council may request.
Requires the Congressional Budget Office to review each Infrastructure Report and report the results of such review to the appropriate congressional committees within 90 days after each such report is submitted to Congress.
Directs the Council to terminate on April 15, 1988.
Authorizes appropriations to the Council for FY 1986 through 1988.
Title II: Federal Capital Investment Program - Federal Capital Investment Program Information Act of 1984 - Amends the Budget and Accounting Act, 1921, to require the President to include with each budget submitted on or after January 1, 1985, four summaries identifying requested appropriations or new obligation authority and outlays for each major program that may be classified as either a public civilian capital investment program or a military capital investment program.
Requires such summaries to: (1) estimate current service levels of public civilian capital investments and of military capital investments and alternative high and low levels of such investments over a period of ten years in current dollars and over a period of five years in constant dollars; (2) contain the most recent assessment analysis and summary of public civilian capital investment needs in each major program area over a period of ten years; (3) identify and analyze the principal policy issues that affect estimated public civilian capital investment needs for each major program; and (4) identify and analyze factors that affect estimated public civilian capital investment needs for each major program.
Declares that any appropriation, new obligational authority, or outlay shall be classified as: (1) a public civilian capital investment to the extent that such appropriation, authority, or outlay will be used for the construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation of any physical asset that is capable of being used to produce services or other benefits for a number of years; or (2) a military capital investment to the extent that such appropriation, authority, or outlay will be used for the construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation of any physical asset that is capable of being used to produce services or other benefits for purposes of national defense and security for a number of years.
Includes among public capital investments roadways or bridges, airports or airway facilities, mass transportation systems, wastewater treatment or related facilities, water resource projects, hospitals, resource recovery facilities, public buildings, space or communications facilities, railroads, and federally assisted housing.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Oversight and Accountability Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Economic Development Subcommittee
Environment and Public Works Committee · Senate · hearings by (full committee), markup by, referred to, reported by
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. 29 actions.
- Oct 19, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-501.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 10, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 5, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Oct 4, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Oct 3, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 98-1134 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 98-1134 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Jun 29, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Howard, Oberstar, Edgar, Brooks, Fuqua, Levitas, Snyder, Clinger, Horton, Erlenborn.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Amendments by Voice Vote.
- Jun 26, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate requests a conference. Appoints conferees. Stafford; Domenici; Durenberger; Randolph; Moynihan.
- FloorFloor · Senate disagreed to the House amendments by Voice Vote.
- May 15, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Mar 5, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Economic Development Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Feb 28, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Feb 21, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Feb 9, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Nov 18, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Nov 3, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- Jul 15, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- May 19, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.