Congress · Laws

Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act of 1986

Public Law 99-319 · S. 974 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on May 23, 1986 · Health

Sponsor: Sen. Lowell Weicker (R-CT)

Cosponsors (26): Sen. Robert Stafford, Sen. Ted Kennedy,

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 383 yea, 21 nay383–21
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.

Protection and Advocacy for Mentally Ill Individuals Act of 1986 - Title I: Protection and Advocacy Systems - Part A: Establishment of Systems - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make allotments for establishing and administering State systems designed to protect and advocate the rights of the mentally ill. Sets forth the authorities such a system shall have.

Requires such a system to include the establishment of an advisory board.

Directs a State system to report to the Secretary on the activities, accomplishments, and expenditures of such systems annually.

Establishes a procedure for determining whether information from an individual's mental health records may be disclosed to him or her.

Requires such systems to exhaust all administrative remedies before initiating legal action on behalf of a mentally ill individual.

Part B: Administrative Provisions - Directs the Secretary to prescribe a formula for making such allotments. Requires the Secretary to provide technical assistance to such systems. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1988.

Title II: Restatement of Bill of Rights for Mental Health Patients - Expresses the sense of the Congress that each State should review and revise, if necessary, its laws to ensure that mental health patients receive the protection and services they require. Advises the States to consider the recommendations of the President's Commission on Mental Health.

Title III: Construction - States that this Act shall not be construed as establishing any new rights for the mentally ill.

Title IV: Other Programs - Amends title III (General Powers and Duties) of the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary to promote family support groups for Alzheimer's disease patients and their families, and establish a nationwide network to coordinate such groups. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress within one year on such activities.

Provides that nothing in this Act shall be construed as superseding any of the balanced budget provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act).

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 99th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 384 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

384 yea21 nay28 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(233)

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. 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. Charlie RangelD-NY-16
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Sala BurtonD-CA-5
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-17
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
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. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
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. William FordD-MI-15
Rep. Esteban TorresD-CA-34
Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24
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. John SeiberlingD-OH-14
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
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. James WeaverD-OR-4
Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Thomas MantonD-NY-9
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. 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. Edward BolandD-MA-2
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. Martin FrostD-TX-24
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Solomon OrtizD-TX-27
Rep. Robert YoungD-MO-2
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. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
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. James FlorioD-NJ-1
Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
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. 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. John BryantD-TX-5
Rep. Joseph KolterD-PA-4
Rep. James TraficantD-OH-17
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Lawrence SmithD-FL-16
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. Jim BatesD-CA-44
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Francis McCloskeyD-IN-8
Rep. Ed JonesD-TN-8
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
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. Charles DowdyD-MS-4
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. Byron DorganD-ND
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. Norman SisiskyD-VA-4
Rep. Gerald SikorskiD-MN-6
Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. Bob CarrD-MI-6
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
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. Cecil HeftelD-HI-1
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. Jim ChapmanD-TX-1
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. 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. Dan DanielD-VA-5
Rep. Buddy RoemerD-LA-4
Rep. Ralph HallD-TX-4
Rep. Charlie StenholmD-TX-17

Republicans who voted yea(151)

Rep. Stewart McKinneyR-CT-4
Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
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. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-7
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-21
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
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. Carl PursellR-MI-2
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
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. John McKernanR-ME-1
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. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
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. 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. Bill SchuetteR-MI-10
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. 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. Mac SweeneyR-TX-14
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-35
Rep. Toby RothR-WI-8
Rep. Robert SmithR-OR-2
Rep. Edwin ZschauR-CA-12
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
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. Delbert LattaR-OH-5
Rep. Mike DeWineR-OH-7
Rep. Eldon RuddR-AZ-4
Rep. Thomas KindnessR-OH-8
Rep. Michael BilirakisR-FL-9
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. Howard CobleR-NC-6
Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
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. Trent LottR-MS-5
Rep. Barbara VucanovichR-NV-2
Rep. Larry CombestR-TX-19
Rep. Eldon BoulterR-TX-13
Rep. Eugene ChappieR-CA-2
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-45
Rep. Michael StrangR-CO-3
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. Robert DornanR-CA-38
Rep. Patrick SwindallR-GA-4
Rep. Robert BadhamR-CA-40
Rep. Joe BartonR-TX-6
Rep. Dan BurtonR-IN-6
Rep. Bob SmithR-NH-1
Rep. Steve BartlettR-TX-3
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. Connie MackR-FL-13
Rep. Robert WalkerR-PA-16
Rep. Denny SmithR-OR-5
Rep. Robert StumpR-AZ-3
Rep. Tom DeLayR-TX-22

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 550 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.

Energy and Commerce Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Health and Environment Subcommittee
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Disability Policy 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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 26 actions.

May 23, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-319.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
May 15, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
May 14, 1986Resolving 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.
May 13, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers, Senate report and managers' statement and message on House action held at the desk.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 383 - 21 (Record Vote No: 121).House roll call 121
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 383 - 21 (Record Vote No: 121).House roll call 121
May 5, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 99-576 Filed in House.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 99-576 Filed in House.
May 2, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
Feb 6, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Dingell, Waxman, Scheuer, Lent, Madigan.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
Feb 5, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate disagreed to House amendments, requested a conference and appointed conferees. Hatch; Weicker; Stafford; Kennedy; Kerry.
Jan 30, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Aug 1, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
Jul 31, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
Jul 25, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Jul 10, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Jun 6, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Apr 26, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Disability Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
Apr 23, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 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.