A joint resolution to provide for the designation of the month of February, 1986, as "National Black (Afro-American) History Month".
Public Law 99-244 · S.J.Res. 74 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Feb 11, 1986 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-SC)
Cosponsors (28): Sen. Robert Packwood, Sen. Carl Levin,
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.
Designates the month of February 1986 as National Black (Afro-American) History Month.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Census and Population 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. 12 actions.
- Feb 11, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-244.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Feb 7, 1986PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Feb 6, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 4, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Census and Population Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Nov 20, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Nov 18, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
- Nov 14, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Mar 6, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- 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.