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Panama Canal Commission Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1986

Public Law 99-223 · H.R. 1784 · 99th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 28, 1985 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Michael Lowry (D-WA-7)

Cosponsors (13): Rep. Mario Biaggi,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • 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.

Panama Canal Commission Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1986 - Authorizes funds to be appropriated from the Panama Canal Commission Fund to the Panama Canal Commission for FY 1986 for operating expenses, including a specified maximum amount for capital outlay. Authorizes additional appropriations for FY 1986 for increases in employee benefits, for payments to Panama, and for increased fuel costs.

Amends the Panama Canal Act of 1979 to provide round trip travel for educational purposes twice a year for dependents of certain Panama Canal Commission employees.

Authorizes the Commission to pay the vacation leave travel expenses and transportation expenses for certain Commission employees and their families. Authorizes the Commission to prescribe required periods of service with respect to such benefits.

Requires funds to be available to defray the cost of: (1) health care services to elderly or disabled persons who were eligible to receive such services before October 1, 1979; and (2) educational services provided by schools in Panama to employees of the Commission who are U.S. citizens and persons who were receiving such services at the expense of the Canal Zone Government before October 1, 1979.

Provides for compensating members of the Board of the Panama Canal Commission who are not U.S. Government or Panamanian government employees.

Requires the President to notify the Congress before transferring certain property pursuant to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. (Current law requires the Congress to be notified at least 180 days before the transfer of such property.)

Committees

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

  • Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Panama Canal and Outer Continental Shelf Subcommittee
  • Armed Services Committee · Senate · hearings by (full committee), markup by, referred to, reported by
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. 19 actions.

  1. Dec 28, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-223.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 19, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 17, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Dec 12, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Dec 3, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Armed Services Committee
  7. Nov 5, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Armed Services Committee
  8. Sep 19, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Armed Services Committee
  9. May 15, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Armed Services Committee
  10. May 14, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  11. FloorFloor · House Agreed to Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
  12. FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
  13. Apr 29, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  14. Apr 16, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  15. Apr 3, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Panama Canal and Outer Continental Shelf Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Panama Canal and Outer Continental Shelf Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  17. Apr 2, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Panama Canal and Outer Continental Shelf Subcommittee of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  18. Mar 28, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
  19. 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.