Health Services Amendments of 1985
Public Law 99-117 · S. 1689 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 7, 1985 · Health
Sponsor: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Ted Kennedy
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.
Health Services Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide care and treatment without charge to any person suffering from Hansen's disease (leprosy). Designates the Public Health Service Facility in Carville, Louisiana, as the Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease Center.
Limits the applicability of the Public Health Service additional pay provisions for physicians.
Provides cash awards for commissioned officers of the Public Health Service for suggestions, inventions, and scientific achievements.
Provides health insurance conversion coverage for certain involuntarily separated commissioned officers and their dependents. Reduces the minimum percentage of allotments any State must use during FY 1985 for alcohol and drug abuse services for women.
Provides that after FY 1985 allotments to States for comprehensive community mental health services for underserved areas or populations and for severely disturbed children and adolescents may also be used for expanding current services.
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to request the National Academy of Sciences to apply for a grant to establish a council on health care technology. Describes the qualifications for grant approval.
Provides an exception to grade limitations for commissioned officers of the Public Health Service who are assigned to the Department of Defense.
Provides for the continuing care of psychiatric patients who were under the care of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Research Center when such center ceased operations.
Repeals the following obsolete provisions of the Public Health Service Act: (1) allotments for State Mental Health Programs; (2) Formula Grants to States for Preventive Health Service Programs; (3) title IX (Education, Research, Training, and Demonstration in Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, and Kidney Disease); (4) Hospital-Affiliated Primary Care Centers; (5) title XII (Emergency Medical Services Systems); and (6) Settlement of Claims.
Committees
The record shows no committee referral for this bill.
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. 7 actions.
- Oct 7, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-117.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 26, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 24, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 23, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- Sep 20, 1985IntroducedIntroduced · 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.