A bill to extend temporarily the dairy price support program and certain food stamp program provisions, and for other purposes.
Public Law 99-157 · S. 1851 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 15, 1985 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Edward Zorinsky
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.
Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to extend dairy price support authority through December 13, 1985.
Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to extend authority through December 13, 1985, for: (1) suspension of the noncash benefit requirement for the Puerto Rican nutrition program; and (2) a pilot program of cash allotments for elderly or supplemental security income households.
Amends the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct the cotton and peanut referendums not later than 31 days after adjournment sine die of the first session of the 99th Congress.
Amends the Agricultural Act of 1949 to provide with regard to the 1985 crop of Burley tobacco that: (1) support levels shall be $1.488 per pound; and (2) the marketing assessment shall not exceed four cents per pound.
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.
- Nov 15, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-157.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 14, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 13, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- 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.