A joint resolution to designate May 25, 1986 as "Hands Across America Day", for the purpose of helping people to help themselves, and commending United Support of Artists for Africa and all participants for their efforts toward combating domestic hunger with a 4000 mile human chain from coast to coast.
Public Law 99-321 · S.J.Res. 246 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on May 23, 1986 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Sen. Alan Dixon (D-IL)
Cosponsors (34): Sen. Henry Heinz, Sen. Alan Cranston,
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 May 25, 1986, as Hands Across America Day.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 10 actions.
- May 23, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-321.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 19, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- May 15, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 4, 1986FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and an amended preamble by Voice Vote.
- Mar 3, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Feb 27, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Dec 12, 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.