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A joint resolution relating to cooperative East-West ventures in space as an alternative to a space arms race.

Public Law 98-562 · S.J.Res. 236 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 30, 1984 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Sen. Spark Matsunaga (D-HI)

Cosponsors (13): Sen. Claiborne Pell,

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.

States that the President should: (1) try, at the earliest practicable date, to renew the agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union on space cooperation for peaceful purposes; (2) continue to gain Soviet agreement to the recent U.S. proposal for a joint simulated space rescue mission; and (3) seek to initiate talks with the Soviet Union and other interested governments on opportunities for cooperative East-West ventures.

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. 14 actions.

  1. Oct 30, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-562.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 19, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 11, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  7. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Foreign Affairs Committee
  8. Oct 10, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments and an amendment to the Title and an amended preamble by Voice Vote.
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
  10. Oct 2, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  12. Sep 13, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  13. Feb 9, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  14. 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.