A joint resolution to designate August 1, 1983, as "Helsinki Human Rights Day".
Public Law 98-58 · S.J.Res. 96 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jul 25, 1983 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)
Cosponsors (29): Sen. William Proxmire, Sen. Alan Dixon,
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.
Designates August 1, 1983, as Helsinki Human Rights Day.
Authorizes and requests the President to issue a proclamation reasserting the American commitment to the human rights and humanitarian provisions of the Helsinki accords.
Requests the President to continue to raise the issue of noncompliance with the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Foreign Affairs Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Europe and the Middle East Subcommittee; Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee- Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · discharged from, referred to
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. 16 actions.
- Jul 25, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-58.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 13, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 22, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Foreign Affairs Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jun 2, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Europe and the Middle East Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee
- May 25, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- May 20, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
- May 19, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
- May 5, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary 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.