Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1986
Public Law 99-180 · H.R. 2965 · 99th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 13, 1985 · Economics and Public Finance
Sponsor: Rep. Neal Smith (D-IA-4)
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1986 - Title I: Department of Commerce - Department of Commerce Appropriation Act, 1986 - Appropriates funds for FY 1986 for activities of the Department of Commerce, including: (1) general administration; (2) the Bureau of the Census; (3) economic and statistical analysis; (4) the International Trade Administration; (5) the Minority Business Development Agency; (6) the Economic Development Administration; (7) the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration; (8) the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (including transfers of funds); (9) the Patent and Trademark Office; (10) the National Bureau of Standards; and (11) the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Appropriates funds as necessary for FY 1986 for the provision of specified supplies and services for employees and dependents of Federal agencies in Alaska and other remote, nonforeign localities. Makes appropriations available for hiring passenger motor vehicles, uniforms, and other services. Prohibits the use of funds provided under this title for the sale to private interests of loans made under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 or the Trade Act of 1974, except with the borrower's consent.
Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds provided under this or any prior Act to relocate the National Marine Fisheries Service's Sandy Hook Laboratory out of New Jersey. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to report to certain congressional committees on options for restoring or replacing the portion of the Laboratory destroyed by fire, subject to reprogramming procedures.
Title II: Department of Justice - Department of Justice Appropriation Act, 1986 - Appropriates funds for FY 1986 for activities of the Department of Justice, including: (1) general administration; (2) the U.S. Parole Commission; (3) legal activities; (4) the Presidential Commission on Organized Crime; (5) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); (6) the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); (7) the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS); (8) the Federal Prison System (FPS); and (9) Office of Justice programs. Authorizes limited expenditures by Federal Prison Industries, Inc.
Makes a specified amount of funds appropriated in this title available for official reception and representation expenses in accordance with the distributions, procedures, and regulations established by the Attorney General.
Permits material produced by convict labor to be used in the construction of any highways or portion of highways located on Federal-aid systems.
Provides that appropriations for the following accounts shall be available for uniforms and allowances: (1) general administration; (2) the U.S. Marshals Service; (3) the FBI; (4) INS; and (5) FPS.
Provides for the continuation of authorities contained in the Department of Justice Appropriation Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1980 until the earlier of the termination of this Act or the effective date of a Department of Justice Appropriation Act. Specifies authorization and auditing and reporting requirements with respect to undercover investigative operations conducted by the FBI and DEA during FY 1986.
Title III: Department of State - Department of State Appropriation Act, 1986 - Appropriates funds for FY 1986 for activities of the Department of State, including: (1) the administration of foreign affairs; (2) international organizations and conferences; (3) international commissions; (4) U.S. bilateral science and technology agreements; (5) a grant to the Asia Foundation; and (6) Soviet-East European research and training.
Prohibits the use of funds appropriated pursuant to this title to: (1) promote the principle or doctrine of one world government or one world citizenship; or (2) pay the U.S. contribution to any international organization which promotes such principle or doctrine.
Title IV: The Judiciary - Judiciary Appropriation Act, 1986 - Appropriates funds for FY 1986 for activities of the judiciary, including: (1) the Supreme Court; (2) the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; (3) the U.S. Court of International Trade; (4) the Courts of Appeals, district courts, and judicial services; (5) the Administrative Office of the United States Courts; and (6) the Federal Judicial Center.
Makes appropriations in this title available for salaries and expenses of the Temporary Emergency Court of Appeals.
Declares that the position of trustee coordinator in the Bankruptcy Courts of the United States shall not be limited to persons with formal legal training.
Prohibits the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, or any other agency or instrumentality of the United States, from restricting solely to staff of the Clerks of the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts the issuance of notices to creditors and other interested parties. Requires the Administrative Office to permit and encourage the preparation and mailing of such notices at the expense of the debtors, trustees, or such other interested parties. Requires the Administrator of the U.S. Courts to make appropriate provisions for the use of accounting for any postage required pursuant to such directives. Terminates such directives on October 1, 1986.
Title V: Related Agencies - Appropriates funds for FY 1986 for the Maritime Administration of the Department of Transportation for operating differential subsidies and research and development, and operations. Authorizes the Maritime Administration to furnish utilities, services, and repairs to Government property it controls. Prohibits obligations from the construction fund established by the Merchant Marine Act in excess of the appropriations and limitations contained in this Act.
Appropriates funds for FY 1986 for: (1) the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency; (2) the Board for International Broadcasting; (3) the Commission on Civil Rights; (4) the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution; (5) the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; (6) the Commission on the Ukraine Famine; (7) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; (8) the Federal Communications Commission; (9) the Federal Maritime Commission; (10) the Federal Trade Commission; (11) the International Trade Commission; (12) the Japan-United States Friendship Commission; (13) the Legal Services Corporation (LSC); (14) the Marine Mammal Commission; (15) the Office of the United States Trade Representative; (16) the Securities and Exchange Commission; (17) the Small Business Administration (including transfer of funds); (18) the State Justice Institute; and (19) the United States Information Agency (USIA).
Establishes the Commission on the Ukraine Famine. Directs the Commission to study and report to the Congress within two years on the 1932-1933 Ukraine Famine, the causes of such famine and its effects on the Ukrainian nation, and the reaction of the world's free countries to such famine. Terminates the Commission 60 days after it submits its report.
Sets forth restrictions on the use of LSC appropriations to bring a class action suit against the Government, for lobbying purposes, for the representation of aliens, or to terminate assistance or deny refunds to LSC grantees. Prohibits LSC from using appropriations provided by this Act to promulgate new regulations or to enforce, implement, or operate according to regulations effective after April 27, 1984, without providing 15 days' notice to the Appropriations Committees of each House of the Congress. Prohibits any USIA funds from being awarded to any organization connected with any political party operating in the United States, including the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs or the National Republican Institute for International Affairs.
Title VI: General Provisions - Prohibits the use of any appropriation for publicity or propaganda purposes not authorized by the Congress.
Prohibits any part of any appropriation from remaining available for obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided in this Act.
Limits any expenditure for consulting services through a procurement contract to those contracts where such expenditures are a matter of public record and available for public inspection.
Prohibits the use of any funds appropriated under this Act for any activity to alter the per se prohibition on resale price maintenance in effect under Federal antitrust laws (except for congressional testimony).
Expresses the sense of the Congress that the antitrust enforcement policy guidelines stated in "Vertical Restraints Guidelines" published by the Department of Justice on January 23, 1985, are not an accurate expression of the Federal antitrust laws or of congressional intent for the application of such laws to vertical restraints of trade, shall not be accorded any force of law or be treated by U.S. courts as binding or persuasive, and should be recalled by the Attorney General.
Requires, under specified conditions, that the Appropriations Committees of both Houses of Congress be notified 15 days in advance of the reprogramming of funds under this Act.
Prohibits the use of any funds appropriated to LSC under this Act by LSC or any recipient to participate in any litigation concerning abortion, except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Appropriations Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary Subcommittee
Appropriations Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary 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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 39 actions.
- Dec 13, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-180.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 12, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 6, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to Senate amdts. Nos. 134 and 138 by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to Senate amendments nos. 6, 9, 11, 20, 21, 23, 29, 30, 38, 39, 44, 50, 56, 57, 58, 61, 78, 79, 92, 100, 103, 111, 114, 118, 121, 122, 123, 127, and 128 by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report considered in Senate.
- FloorFloor · Motion to concur in the House amendment to Senate amendment no. 134 with further amendment rejected in the Senate.
- FloorFloor · Motion to concur in the House amendment to Senate amendment no. 134, with a further amendment, made in the Senate.
- FloorFloor · Motion to table the House amendment to Senate amendment no. 134 rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 43-44. Record Vote No: 353.Senate roll call 353
- Dec 5, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Receded and Concurred With an Amendment in Senate Amendments 006, 009, 011, 020, 021, 023, 029, 030, 038, 039, 044, 050, 056, 057, 058, 061, 078, 079, 092, 100, 103, 111, 114, 118, 121, 122, 123, 127, 128, 134, 138.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Receded and Concurred in Senate Amendments 010, 016, 018, 019, 027, 047, 049, 055, 066, 073, 085, 109, 133, 137, 140, 141.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Dec 4, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 99-414 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 99-414 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Dec 3, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Smith (IA), Alexander, Early, Dwyer (NJ), Carr, Boland, Whitten, O'Brien, Regula, Rogers, Conte.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 1, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate insists on its amendments, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Rudman; Laxalt; Stevens; Weicker; Hatfield; Specter; Hollings; Inouye; Bumpers; Chiles; Lautenberg.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay Vote. 84-10. Record Vote No: 275.Senate roll call 275
- Oct 4, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Appropriations Committee
- Oct 3, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Appropriations Committee
- Sep 26, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee
- Jul 18, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee
- Jul 17, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 273 - 136 (Record Vote No: 240).House roll call 240
- FloorFloor · House Agreed to Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
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.