A bill to authorize the Smithsonian Institution to plan and construct facilities for certain science activities of the Institution, and for other purposes.
Public Law 99-423 · H.R. 1483 · 99th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Sep 30, 1986 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Rep. Norman Mineta (D-CA-13)
Cosponsors (8): Rep. Edward Boland, Rep. Silvio Conte,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateRecorded vote: 87 yea, 13 nay87–13
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.
(Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #149 (87-13))
Authorizes the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to plan and construct facilities for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (Arizona) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama).
Authorizes appropriations for such purposes effective October 1, 1986. Provides for transfer of any portion of such funds to the General Services Administration to carry out such purposes.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 99th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 87 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
87 yea13 nay
Democrats who voted yea(40)
Sen. Tom HarkinD-IA- Sen. Paul SarbanesD-MD
- Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
- Sen. John MelcherD-MT
- Sen. Gary HartD-CO
- Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
- Sen. Paul SimonD-IL
- Sen. Donald RiegleD-MI
Sen. Carl LevinD-MI
Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI- Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
Sen. John KerryD-MA- Sen. Spark MatsunagaD-HI
Sen. Max BaucusD-MT- Sen. Albert GoreD-TN
- Sen. Thomas EagletonD-MO
Sen. Frank LautenbergD-NJ
Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE- Sen. George MitchellD-ME
- Sen. David PryorD-AR
Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT- Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
- Sen. Dale BumpersD-AR
Sen. Jay RockefellerD-WV- Sen. Wendell FordD-KY
- Sen. Daniel MoynihanD-NY
- Sen. John GlennD-OH
Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM
Sen. Christopher DoddD-CT- Sen. Dennis DeConciniD-AZ
- Sen. Bill BradleyD-NJ
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
- Sen. Lawton ChilesD-FL
- Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
- Sen. David BorenD-OK
- Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
- Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
- Sen. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. Russell LongD-LA
Republicans who voted yea(47)
- Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA- Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
- Sen. Mark AndrewsR-ND
- Sen. Henry HeinzR-PA
- Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
- Sen. Alfonse D’AmatoR-NY
- Sen. William CohenR-ME
- Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
- Sen. John ChafeeR-RI
- Sen. Robert KastenR-WI
- Sen. David DurenbergerR-MN
- Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
- Sen. James AbdnorR-SD
- Sen. Larry PresslerR-SD
- Sen. John DanforthR-MO
- Sen. Nancy KassebaumR-KS
- Sen. Slade GortonR-WA
- Sen. Daniel EvansR-WA
Sen. John WarnerR-VA- Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
- Sen. Paul TribleR-VA
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY
Sen. Thad CochranR-MS- Sen. Rudy BoschwitzR-MN
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
Sen. Richard LugarR-IN- Sen. Pete WilsonR-CA
- Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
- Sen. William RothR-DE
- Sen. Warren RudmanR-NH
- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Alan SimpsonR-WY
- Sen. Jeremiah DentonR-AL
Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT- Sen. Dan QuayleR-IN
- Sen. Paul LaxaltR-NV
- Sen. Jake GarnR-UT
- Sen. William ArmstrongR-CO
- Sen. Phil GrammR-TX
- Sen. Jacob HechtR-NV
- Sen. James McClureR-ID
- Sen. Barry GoldwaterR-AZ
- Sen. John EastR-NC
- Sen. Steven SymmsR-ID
- Sen. Gordon HumphreyR-NH
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 530 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.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Transportation and Infrastructure Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Public Buildings and Grounds 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. 14 actions.
- Sep 30, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-423.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 19, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 18, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 24, 1986FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 87-13. Record Vote No: 149.Senate roll call 149
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Nov 19, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Rules and Administration Committee
- Oct 29, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Rules and Administration Committee
- Oct 9, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Rules and Administration Committee
- Oct 7, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- Mar 21, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Public Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Mar 7, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.