Congress · Laws

A joint resolution to designate May 7, 1985, as "Helsinki Human Rights Day".

Public Law 99-29 · S.J.Res. 15 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Apr 25, 1985 · Commemorations

Sponsor: Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)

Cosponsors (41): Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Mark Hatfield,

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 390 yea, 0 nay390–0
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.

Designates May 7, 1985, as Helsinki Human Rights Day.

Requests the President to: (1) reassert American commitment to the Helsinki Accords; (2) raise the issue of noncompliance with such Accords with the U.S.S.R. and the Warsaw Pact nations; and (3) convey to U.S. allies the necessity of unity on these points.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 99th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 397 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

397 yea0 nay36 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(226)

Rep. Bill ClayD-MO-1
Rep. Parren MitchellD-MD-7
Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
Rep. Mervyn DymallyD-CA-31
Rep. John ConyersD-MI-1
Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
Rep. Charles HayesD-IL-1
Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
Rep. Ed TownsD-NY-11
Rep. Major OwensD-NY-12
Rep. George CrockettD-MI-13
Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-17
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-18
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Sala BurtonD-CA-5
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9
Rep. Joseph AddabboD-NY-6
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-17
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
Rep. Harold FordD-TN-9
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. William CoyneD-PA-14
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4
Rep. Barbara BoxerD-CA-6
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-10
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2
Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. Esteban TorresD-CA-34
Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-8
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. Thomas FogliettaD-PA-1
Rep. Howard BermanD-CA-26
Rep. Meldon LevineD-CA-27
Rep. Bruce MorrisonD-CT-3
Rep. James WrightD-TX-12
Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
Rep. James HowardD-NJ-3
Rep. Matthew MartínezD-CA-30
Rep. Michael BarnesD-MD-8
Rep. Jim MoodyD-WI-5
Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-18
Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. Albert BustamanteD-TX-23
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-28
Rep. Sander LevinD-MI-17
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-6
Rep. Richard LehmanD-CA-18
Rep. Chester AtkinsD-MA-5
Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. Robert BorskiD-PA-3
Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-19
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Charles PriceD-IL-21
Rep. Barbara MikulskiD-MD-3
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Robert EdgarD-PA-7
Rep. Martin FrostD-TX-24
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Solomon OrtizD-TX-27
Rep. Walter JonesD-NC-1
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-10
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-33
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. Fernand St. GermainD-RI-1
Rep. Kenneth GrayD-IL-22
Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
Rep. Catherine LongD-LA-8
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Peter ViscloskyD-IN-1
Rep. Stanley LundineD-NY-34
Rep. Tom LantosD-CA-11
Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
Rep. Harley StaggersD-WV-2
Rep. Berkley BedellD-IA-6
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Jerry KleczkaD-WI-4
Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Robert MrazekD-NY-3
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Bill HefnerD-NC-8
Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
Rep. Ronald ColemanD-TX-16
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Leslie AspinD-WI-1
Rep. Peter KostmayerD-PA-8
Rep. William RichardsonD-NM-3
Rep. Alan MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. Rick BoucherD-VA-9
Rep. Edward FeighanD-OH-19
Rep. Douglas BoscoD-CA-1
Rep. Mario BiaggiD-NY-19
Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
Rep. Robert TorricelliD-NJ-9
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Marcy KapturD-OH-9
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Robert WiseD-WV-3
Rep. Joseph KolterD-PA-4
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. Jim BatesD-CA-44
Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Ed JonesD-TN-8
Rep. Terry BruceD-IL-19
Rep. Charles WhitleyD-NC-3
Rep. Daniel MicaD-FL-14
Rep. Tom DaschleD-SD
Rep. William LipinskiD-IL-5
Rep. Harry ReidD-NV-1
Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
Rep. Bart GordonD-TN-6
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-11
Rep. Richard DurbinD-IL-20
Rep. William BonerD-TN-5
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-32
Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3
Rep. Jim CooperD-TN-4
Rep. Don FuquaD-FL-2
Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
Rep. Timothy WirthD-CO-2
Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. John SprattD-SC-5
Rep. Paul KanjorskiD-PA-11
Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-1
Rep. Wyche FowlerD-GA-5
Rep. Gerald SikorskiD-MN-6
Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. Bob CarrD-MI-6
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. Michael AndrewsD-TX-25
Rep. Butler DerrickD-SC-3
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-2
Rep. James RowlandD-GA-8
Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
Rep. Buddy MacKayD-FL-6
Rep. Ike SkeltonD-MO-4
Rep. Robert ThomasD-GA-1
Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
Rep. Tim ValentineD-NC-2
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
Rep. Thomas CarperD-DE
Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
Rep. Robin TallonD-SC-6
Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
Rep. Ed JenkinsD-GA-9
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Ben ErdreichD-AL-6
Rep. James OlinD-VA-6
Rep. James SlatteryD-KS-2
Rep. Richard StallingsD-ID-2
Rep. Andrew JacobsD-IN-10
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-23
Rep. Buddy DardenD-GA-7
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-11
Rep. James JonesD-OK-1
Rep. Richard ShelbyD-AL-7
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. Timothy PennyD-MN-1
Rep. Tommy RobinsonD-AR-2
Rep. John BreauxD-LA-7
Rep. William NicholsD-AL-3
Rep. Royden DysonD-MD-1
Rep. Druie BarnardD-GA-10
Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
Rep. Thomas HuckabyD-LA-5
Rep. Billy TauzinD-LA-3
Rep. James LeathD-TX-11
Rep. Earl HuttoD-FL-1
Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
Rep. Richard RayD-GA-3
Rep. Carroll HubbardD-KY-1
Rep. Sam HallD-TX-1
Rep. Dan DanielD-VA-5
Rep. Buddy RoemerD-LA-4
Rep. Ralph HallD-TX-4
Rep. Charlie StenholmD-TX-17

Republicans who voted yea(171)

Rep. Stewart McKinneyR-CT-4
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-15
Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-29
Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-22
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-21
Rep. Nancy JohnsonR-CT-6
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. Sherry BoehlertR-NY-25
Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. Carl PursellR-MI-2
Rep. George O’BrienR-IL-4
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-5
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. George WortleyR-NY-27
Rep. Joseph DioGuardiR-NY-20
Rep. Thomas RidgeR-PA-21
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. John MillerR-WA-1
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. John MyersR-IN-7
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-2
Rep. John DuncanR-TN-2
Rep. Don YoungR-AK
Rep. David MartinR-NY-26
Rep. James QuillenR-TN-1
Rep. John RowlandR-CT-5
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. Paul HenryR-MI-5
Rep. Virginia SmithR-NE-3
Rep. Jan MeyersR-KS-3
Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
Rep. Herbert BatemanR-VA-1
Rep. William MooreR-LA-6
Rep. Elwood HillisR-IN-5
Rep. Jim SaxtonR-NJ-13
Rep. Steven GundersonR-WI-3
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-18
Rep. Marion SnyderR-KY-4
Rep. Helen BentleyR-MD-2
Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Rodney ChandlerR-WA-8
Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-14
Rep. Charles PashayanR-CA-17
Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
Rep. Dean GalloR-NJ-11
Rep. Jack KempR-NY-31
Rep. William GoodlingR-PA-19
Rep. James BroyhillR-NC-10
Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
Rep. Donald RitterR-PA-15
Rep. James CourterR-NJ-12
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. George WhitehurstR-VA-2
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. Edward MadiganR-IL-15
Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
Rep. John McCainR-AZ-1
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Alex McMillanR-NC-9
Rep. Thomas EvansR-IA-3
Rep. William FranklinR-MS-2
Rep. Bill SchuetteR-MI-10
Rep. William HendonR-NC-11
Rep. Arlan StangelandR-MN-7
Rep. John KasichR-OH-12
Rep. Gene TaylorR-MO-7
Rep. Bill EmersonR-MO-8
Rep. Guy Vander JagtR-MI-9
Rep. Carroll CampbellR-SC-4
Rep. W. Bill YoungR-FL-8
Rep. Bob McEwenR-OH-6
Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
Rep. Daniel CoatsR-IN-4
Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
Rep. Joseph SkeenR-NM-2
Rep. Robert LivingstonR-LA-1
Rep. Mickey EdwardsR-OK-5
Rep. James LightfootR-IA-5
Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
Rep. Robert WhittakerR-KS-5
Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
Rep. Thomas LewisR-FL-12
Rep. William CarneyR-NY-1
Rep. H. CallahanR-AL-1
Rep. William DickinsonR-AL-2
Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-35
Rep. Toby RothR-WI-8
Rep. Robert SmithR-OR-2
Rep. Edwin ZschauR-CA-12
Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Rep. Bill ThomasR-CA-20
Rep. Jim KolbeR-AZ-5
Rep. Donald SundquistR-TN-7
Rep. Harris FawellR-IL-13
Rep. Lynn MartinR-IL-16
Rep. Clay ShawR-FL-15
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. Daniel SlaughterR-VA-7
Rep. George GekasR-PA-17
Rep. Mike DeWineR-OH-7
Rep. Eldon RuddR-AZ-4
Rep. Thomas KindnessR-OH-8
Rep. Fred EckertR-NY-30
Rep. Hal DaubR-NE-2
Rep. Ron PackardR-CA-43
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. John GrotbergR-IL-14
Rep. Howard CobleR-NC-6
Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
Rep. Kenneth KramerR-CO-5
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. Mark SiljanderR-MI-4
Rep. Thomas LoefflerR-TX-21
Rep. John WeberR-MN-2
Rep. Andy IrelandR-FL-10
Rep. John HilerR-IN-3
Rep. Bobbi FiedlerR-CA-21
Rep. Trent LottR-MS-5
Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
Rep. Barbara VucanovichR-NV-2
Rep. Larry CombestR-TX-19
Rep. Bud ShusterR-PA-9
Rep. Eldon BoulterR-TX-13
Rep. Eugene ChappieR-CA-2
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-45
Rep. Michael StrangR-CO-3
Rep. Ronald MarleneeR-MT-2
Rep. Gerald SolomonR-NY-24
Rep. William CobeyR-NC-4
Rep. Judd GreggR-NH-2
Rep. Dan SchaeferR-CO-6
Rep. James SensenbrennerR-WI-9
Rep. Thomas HartnettR-SC-1
Rep. Howard NielsonR-UT-3
Rep. Robert DornanR-CA-38
Rep. Larry CraigR-ID-1
Rep. Bill ArcherR-TX-7
Rep. Patrick SwindallR-GA-4
Rep. Carlos MoorheadR-CA-22
Rep. Alfred McCandlessR-CA-37
Rep. Daniel LungrenR-CA-42
Rep. Robert BadhamR-CA-40
Rep. Jack FieldsR-TX-8
Rep. Joe BartonR-TX-6
Rep. Dan BurtonR-IN-6
Rep. Bob SmithR-NH-1
Rep. Norman ShumwayR-CA-14
Rep. Steve BartlettR-TX-3
Rep. James HansenR-UT-1
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. Connie MackR-FL-13
Rep. Robert WalkerR-PA-16
Rep. David MonsonR-UT-2
Rep. Denny SmithR-OR-5
Rep. Richard CheneyR-WY
Rep. David DreierR-CA-33
Rep. Robert StumpR-AZ-3
Rep. Tom DeLayR-TX-22
Rep. William DannemeyerR-CA-39
Rep. Richard ArmeyR-TX-26
Rep. Phil CraneR-IL-12

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 48 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

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

Foreign Affairs Committee · House · markup by, referred to
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Census and Population Subcommittee
Judiciary Committee · Senate · 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. 13 actions.

Apr 25, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-29.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Apr 18, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Apr 16, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House by Yea-Nay Vote: 390 - 0 (Record Vote No: 52).House roll call 52
Apr 4, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Census and Population Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
Apr 3, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Foreign Affairs Committee
Apr 1, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
Mar 28, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
Mar 26, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
Mar 21, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
Jan 3, 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.

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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.