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Shareholder Communications Act of 1985

Public Law 99-222 · H.R. 1603 · 99th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 28, 1985 · Finance and Financial Sector

Sponsor: Rep. Timothy Wirth (D-CO-2)

Cosponsors (1): Rep. Matthew Rinaldo

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.

Shareholder Communications Act of 1985 - Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to subject banks, associations, and other entities that exercise fiduciary powers to Securities and Exchange Commission regulations with respect to giving or refraining from giving a proxy, consent, or authorization in respect of any registered security carried for the account of a customer. Prohibits such regulations from requiring banks to disclose the names of beneficial owners of securities held in bank accounts without such owner's consent, provided the banks make a good faith effort to obtain such consent.

Committees

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

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. 15 actions.

  1. Dec 28, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-222.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 19, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 18, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
  6. Jul 24, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
  7. Jul 22, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  8. Jun 26, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
  9. May 22, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Energy and Commerce Committee
  10. May 9, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  11. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  12. Mar 21, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  14. Mar 20, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
  15. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.