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Military Construction Appropriations Act, 1986

Public Law 99-173 · H.R. 3327 · 99th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 10, 1985 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Rep. Bill Hefner (D-NC-8)

Cosponsors: None

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.

(House receded and concurred in certain Senate amendment with an amendment)

Military Construction Appropriations Act, 1986 - Appropriates funds for FY 1986 for military construction operations by the Department of Defense (DOD) for: (1) the Army, (2) the Navy; (3) the Air Force; (4) the defense agencies; (5) the U.S. share of acquisition or construction under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Infrastructure program; (6) the Army National Guard; (7) the Air National Guard; (8) the Army Reserve; (9) the Navy Reserve; (10) the Air Force Reserve; (11) family housing for the Army; (12) family housing for the Navy and Marine Corps; (13) family housing for the Air Force; and (14) family housing for the defense agencies.

Prohibits the expenditure of funds for payments under a cost-plus-a-fixed-fee contract for work, except as specified. Makes previously appropriated funds available for: (1) the hire of passenger motor vehicles; and (2) advances to the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, for the construction of access roads. Prohibits the expenditure of funds for: (1) new base construction for which specific appropriations have not been made; (2) the purchase of certain land or easements, with specified exceptions; (3) family housing, except that housing specified in annual military construction appropriation Acts; (4) the relocation of activities from one base or installation to another; (5) steel procurement for which American steel producers have been denied the opportunity to compete for such procurement; (6) dredging in the Indian Ocean by foreign contractors except as specified; (7) the payment of real property taxes in any foreign nation; and (8) compensation to non-lawfully-admitted aliens of the United States.

Limits the expenditure of appropriations for consulting services.

Prohibits the use of funds for: (1) the initiation of a new installation overseas without the prior approval of the Appropriations Committees; (2) F-16 beddown projects at Misawa, Japan, until the Appropriations Committees determine that the Japanese budget has increased funding for FY 1986 for such projects; (3) certain architect and engineer contracts to be accomplished in Japan or any NATO member country, unless such contracts are awarded to U.S. firms or U.S. firms in joint venture with host nation firms; and (4) certain military construction projects in the U.S. territories and possessions in the Pacific and on Kwajalein Island to be performed by foreign contractors, unless the lowest bid from a U.S. contractor for such work exceeds the lowest foreign-contractor bid by more than 20 percent.

Directs the Secretary of Defense to inform the Appropriations Committees of the plans and scope of certain military exercises involving U.S. personnel 30 days before the exercises occur.

Transfers unexpended amounts from the Military Family Housing Management Account to the appropriations for family housing provided in this Act. Transfers certain Department of Defense construction funds to construction accounts provided in this and other similar Acts.

Restricts to 20 percent the amount of appropriations in this Act which may be obligated during the last two months of the fiscal year.

Provides that funds appropriated to a military department or defense agency for a fiscal year for military construction or military family housing purposes may remain available beyond such fiscal year to the extent provided in the appropriation Acts.

Directs the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to assign a military design, construction, and support mission to the Little Rock, Arkansas, district of the Corps of Engineers, and to designate such district as a full service district.

Directs the Secretary of the Army to convey certain training equipment to the United States Modern Pentathlon Association.

Authorizes the Secretary concerned, when determined to be in the national interest, to transfer or merge funds authorized for military construction and military family housing, as long as: (1) such transfers are used only for military construction functions authorized by law; and (2) the Secretary notifies the appropriate committees of the Congress semi-annually of all such transfers.

Prohibits the availability of funds appropriated in this Act for any country if the President determines that the government of such country is failing to take adequate measures to stop the sale or smuggling of illegal drugs from such country to the U.S. or its personnel. Requires such prohibition to continue until the President makes certain written certifications to the Congress concerning appropriate enforcement measures taken by such country. Waives such prohibition if the President determines it to be inconsistent with national security interests.

Requires ten percent of the total amount of budget authority available for FY 1986 by this Act for consulting, management, and professional services to be placed in reserve, with specified exceptions.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation, if requested, to grant to Glynn County, Georgia, a release from any and all conditions contained in a certain deed of conveyance (for lands to be used for the Glynco Jetport) between such county and the United States, subject to specified conditions. Requires revenues from land obtained in exchange for the land being released to be used for airport purposes.

Directs the Secretary of Transportation, if requested, to grant to the city of Gadsden, Alabama, a release from any and all conditions contained in a certain deed of conveyance (for lands to be used for airport purposes) between such city and the United States, subject to specified conditions. Requires land obtained in exchange for the land being released to be used for airport purposes.

Amends the Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1986, to prohibit, until May 1, 1986, any funds appropriated to DOD from being used for the construction, operation, or maintenance of commercial franchise businesses on any U.S. military installation. (Currently, such use of funds is permitted 30 days after the Secretary of Defense reports to the Congress concerning the operation of such businesses on military installations.)

Limits in a specified manner the obligation or expenditure of funds appropriated by this Act for the U.S. contribution to the NATO Infrastructure program.

Committees

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

  • Appropriations Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Military Construction Subcommittee
  • Appropriations Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Military Construction Subcommittee
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. 37 actions.

  1. Dec 10, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-173.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 3, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 22, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate receded from its amendment no. 27 by Voice Vote.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendments nos. 3, 10, 11, 21, 23, 29, 32, 33, 35, 36, and 37 by Voice Vote.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  8. Nov 20, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Disagreement to Senate Amendment 027.
  9. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Receded and Concurred With an Amendment in Senate Amendments 003, 010, 011, 021, 023, 029, 032, 033, 035, 036, 037.
  10. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  11. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  12. Nov 19, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 99-380 Filed in House.
  13. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 99-380 Filed in House.
  14. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  15. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  16. Nov 13, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Hefner, Bevill, Alexander, Coleman (TX), Addabbo, Chappell, Early, Whitten, Edwards (OK), Loeffler, Rudd, Lowery (CA), Conte.
  17. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  18. Nov 7, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate insists on its amendments, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Mattingly; Laxalt; Garn; Hatfield; Sasser; Inouye; Stennis.
  19. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay Vote. 94-1. Record Vote No: 287.Senate roll call 287
  20. FloorFloor · Section 128 of the Committee amendment ruled non-germane by the Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 45-49. Record Vote No: 286.Senate roll call 286
  21. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  22. Oct 31, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Appropriations Committee
  23. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Appropriations Committee
  24. Oct 29, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Military Construction Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee
  25. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Military Construction Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee
  26. Oct 21, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee
  27. Oct 17, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 373 - 36 (Record Vote No: 362).House roll call 362
  28. FloorFloor · House Agreed to Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
  29. FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
  30. Sep 18, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Appropriations Committee
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.