Congress · Laws

Local Government Antitrust Act of 1984

Public Law 98-544 · H.R. 6027 · 98th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 24, 1984 · Commerce

Sponsor: Rep. Peter Rodino (D-NJ-10)

Cosponsors (15): Rep. Hamilton Fish, Rep. Don Edwards,

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 318 yea, 0 nay318–0
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.

Local Government Antitrust Act of 1984 - Prohibits the recovery of damages, interest on damages, litigation costs, or attorney fees in an antitrust action from any local government or any local government employee or official acting in an official capacity. Provides that such prohibition shall not apply to cases commenced before the effective date of this Act, unless the defendant establishes and the court determines that it would be inequitable not to apply this prohibition to such a pending case. Declares that the existence of a jury verdict or a district court judgment shall be prima facie evidence that such prohibition shall not apply to such a case.

Prohibits the recovery of damages, interest on damages, litigation costs, or attorney fees in an antitrust action against a person based on any official action directed by a local government or a local government employee or official acting in an official capacity. Provides that such prohibition shall not apply to cases commenced before the effective date of this Act.

Repeals a provision of the Department of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1985 which prohibited the obligation or expenditure of Federal Trade Commission appropriations for any antitrust action against a local government.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 98th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 318 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

318 yea0 nay114 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(185)

Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. John ConyersD-MI-1
Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
Rep. Sala BurtonD-CA-5
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-17
Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-18
Rep. Gary AckermanD-NY-7
Rep. William FordD-MI-15
Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-17
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
Rep. Ed TownsD-NY-11
Rep. Charles HayesD-IL-1
Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-6
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-16
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
Rep. Katie HallD-IN-1
Rep. Major OwensD-NY-12
Rep. Esteban TorresD-CA-34
Rep. Barbara BoxerD-CA-6
Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
Rep. Bill ClayD-MO-1
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2
Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Matthew MartínezD-CA-30
Rep. John SeiberlingD-OH-14
Rep. Meldon LevineD-CA-27
Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-10
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Richard LehmanD-CA-18
Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
Rep. Robert BorskiD-PA-3
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-10
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-8
Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-18
Rep. Frank HarrisonD-PA-11
Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-6
Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-33
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Charles PriceD-IL-21
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7
Rep. Raymond KogovsekD-CO-3
Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
Rep. Lawrence SmithD-FL-16
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-19
Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
Rep. Sander LevinD-MI-17
Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
Rep. Michael BarnesD-MD-8
Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-28
Rep. Harley StaggersD-WV-2
Rep. John BryantD-TX-5
Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
Rep. Rick BoucherD-VA-9
Rep. Mario BiaggiD-NY-19
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
Rep. William RichardsonD-NM-3
Rep. Jim MoodyD-WI-5
Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
Rep. Peter KostmayerD-PA-8
Rep. Bob CarrD-MI-6
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3
Rep. Solomon OrtizD-TX-27
Rep. Alan MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. Clarence LongD-MD-2
Rep. Joseph KolterD-PA-4
Rep. Douglas BoscoD-CA-1
Rep. Robert TorricelliD-NJ-9
Rep. Ed JonesD-TN-8
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Francis McCloskeyD-IN-8
Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
Rep. Robert MrazekD-NY-3
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Jerry KleczkaD-WI-4
Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4
Rep. Gerald SikorskiD-MN-6
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-32
Rep. Joseph MinishD-NJ-11
Rep. Wyche FowlerD-GA-5
Rep. Robert WiseD-WV-3
Rep. Edward FeighanD-OH-19
Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
Rep. Tom DaschleD-SD
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
Rep. Berkley BedellD-IA-6
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-11
Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-1
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. Ike AndrewsD-NC-4
Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. Charles BrittD-NC-6
Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
Rep. John SprattD-SC-5
Rep. Richard DurbinD-IL-20
Rep. Abraham KazenD-TX-23
Rep. Daniel MicaD-FL-14
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
Rep. James RowlandD-GA-8
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. Timothy PennyD-MN-1
Rep. Robert ThomasD-GA-1
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-23
Rep. Norman SisiskyD-VA-4
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-2
Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
Rep. Thomas CarperD-DE
Rep. Michael AndrewsD-TX-25
Rep. Tim ValentineD-NC-2
Rep. James JonesD-OK-1
Rep. Ben ErdreichD-AL-6
Rep. Buddy DardenD-GA-7
Rep. James OlinD-VA-6
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. Jack HightowerD-TX-13
Rep. Elliott LevitasD-GA-4
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-11
Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
Rep. James SlatteryD-KS-2
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. Earl HuttoD-FL-1
Rep. William NicholsD-AL-3
Rep. Carroll HubbardD-KY-1
Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
Rep. William PatmanD-TX-14
Rep. Tommy VandergriffD-TX-26
Rep. Richard ShelbyD-AL-7
Rep. Billy TauzinD-LA-3
Rep. Richard RayD-GA-3
Rep. Ralph HallD-TX-4
Rep. Sam HallD-TX-1
Rep. Andy IrelandD-FL-10
Rep. Buddy RoemerD-LA-4
Rep. Dan DanielD-VA-5

Republicans who voted yea(133)

Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Stewart McKinneyR-CT-4
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-15
Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-7
Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-22
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-21
Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. John McKernanR-ME-1
Rep. Nancy JohnsonR-CT-6
Rep. Thomas RidgeR-PA-21
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-5
Rep. Joel PritchardR-WA-1
Rep. Jack EdwardsR-AL-1
Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-4
Rep. Harold SawyerR-MI-5
Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. Rodney ChandlerR-WA-8
Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. John MyersR-IN-7
Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. David MartinR-NY-26
Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-14
Rep. Don YoungR-AK
Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
Rep. Marion SnyderR-KY-4
Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
Rep. Steven GundersonR-WI-3
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. Thomas EvansR-IA-3
Rep. Virginia SmithR-NE-3
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
Rep. William MooreR-LA-6
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. George WortleyR-NY-27
Rep. George WhitehurstR-VA-2
Rep. W. Bill YoungR-FL-8
Rep. James CourterR-NJ-12
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-2
Rep. Gene TaylorR-MO-7
Rep. Thomas LewisR-FL-12
Rep. Arlan StangelandR-MN-7
Rep. Toby RothR-WI-8
Rep. Herbert BatemanR-VA-1
Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
Rep. Donald SundquistR-TN-7
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Ronald MarleneeR-MT-2
Rep. William GoodlingR-PA-19
Rep. William FranklinR-MS-2
Rep. Bobbi FiedlerR-CA-21
Rep. Robert SmithR-OR-2
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
Rep. Edwin ZschauR-CA-12
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-35
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-18
Rep. Carroll CampbellR-SC-4
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
Rep. John KasichR-OH-12
Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
Rep. Charles PashayanR-CA-17
Rep. Larry WinnR-KS-3
Rep. Robert WhittakerR-KS-5
Rep. Robert LivingstonR-LA-1
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. Mickey EdwardsR-OK-5
Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
Rep. Marjorie HoltR-MD-4
Rep. Joseph SkeenR-NM-2
Rep. James RobinsonR-VA-7
Rep. Bill EmersonR-MO-8
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-45
Rep. George GekasR-PA-17
Rep. John ErlenbornR-IL-13
Rep. Hal DaubR-NE-2
Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
Rep. Bill ThomasR-CA-20
Rep. Daniel CoatsR-IN-4
Rep. James BroyhillR-NC-10
Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Rep. Thomas CorcoranR-IL-14
Rep. Thomas KindnessR-OH-8
Rep. Eugene ChappieR-CA-2
Rep. Michael BilirakisR-FL-9
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. Mike DeWineR-OH-7
Rep. John WeberR-MN-2
Rep. Kenneth KramerR-CO-5
Rep. Bud ShusterR-PA-9
Rep. Thomas LoefflerR-TX-21
Rep. Barber ConableR-NY-30
Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
Rep. Delbert LattaR-OH-5
Rep. Alfred McCandlessR-CA-37
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. Carlos MoorheadR-CA-22
Rep. Barbara VucanovichR-NV-2
Rep. Jack FieldsR-TX-8
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. Steve BartlettR-TX-3
Rep. Bill ArcherR-TX-7
Rep. Connie MackR-FL-13
Rep. Larry CraigR-ID-1
Rep. Gerald SolomonR-NY-24
Rep. Dan SchaeferR-CO-6
Rep. Daniel LungrenR-CA-42
Rep. Howard NielsonR-UT-3
Rep. James HansenR-UT-1
Rep. Thomas HartnettR-SC-1
Rep. Dan BurtonR-IN-6
Rep. Robert WalkerR-PA-16
Rep. David DreierR-CA-33
Rep. Norman ShumwayR-CA-14
Rep. Robert StumpR-AZ-3
Rep. Phil CraneR-IL-12
Rep. Daniel CraneR-IL-19
Rep. William DannemeyerR-CA-39

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 906 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Judiciary Committee · House · 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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.

Oct 24, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-544.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Oct 19, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Oct 11, 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.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 318 - 0 (Record Vote No: 463).House roll call 463
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 318 - 0 (Record Vote No: 463).House roll call 463
FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
Oct 10, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 98-1158 Filed in House.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 98-1158 Filed in House.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Rodino, Brooks, Edwards (CA), Seiberling, Hughes, Synar, Crockett, Schumer, Feighan, Fish, Moorhead, Hyde, Sawyer, Lungren.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments.
FloorFloor · Committee on Rules Granted a Rule for Consideration of the Conference Report; Waiving all Points of Order Against Consideration of Conference Report for Failure to Comply with Clause 2 of Rule XXVIII.
Oct 4, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate insists on its amendments, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Thurmond; Hatch; Metzenbaum.
FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
Aug 8, 1984FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 414 - 5 (Record Vote No: 356).House roll call 356
Aug 6, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
Aug 1, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
Jul 26, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary 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.

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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.