Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987
Public Law 99-569 · H.R. 4759 · 99th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 27, 1986 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN-9)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987 - Title I: Intelligence Authorization - Authorizes appropriations for intelligence and intelligence-related activities in specified departments and agencies of the U.S. Government, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department of Defense, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Authorizes the Director of Central Intelligence to employ civilian personnel in excess of the ceiling for such personnel when necessary to the performance of important intelligence functions.
Restricts support for military and paramilitary operations in Nicaragua. Restricts intelligence agency cooperation with the Government of South Africa.
Title II: Intelligence Community Staff - Authorizes appropriations for the Intelligence Community Staff for FY 1987.
Establishes an end strength ceiling of 237 full-time Intelligence Community Staff employees. Provides that such staff shall be administered in the same manner as the CIA.
Title III: Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Related Matters - Authorizes appropriations for the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability Fund for FY 1987.
Amends the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement Act of 1964 for Certain Employees to provide that certain former spouses of CIA employees are entitled to a survivor annuity.
Amends the Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 to provide that certain former spouses of CIA employees are eligible for coverage under a health benefits plan.
Title IV: Counterintelligence and Security - Allows the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Secretary of the Department of Defense to use funds for hosting counterintelligence consultations with foreign officials.
Allows the FBI access to State and local criminal records for security clearances.
Allows the Secretary of Defense to use the proceeds from counterintelligence operations conducted by components of the military departments to offset necessary and reasonable expenses.
Grants the FBI access to the financial records of suspected foreign agents. Requires the Attorney General to inform specified congressional committees of all such requests.
Title V: Administrative Authorities Relating to Intelligence Personnel - Grants Defense Intelligence Agency employees medical evacuation benefits.
Extends through FY 1987 the Secretary's special authority to terminate the employment of Defense Intelligence Agency employees.
Allows the Director of Central Intelligence to pay cash awards to members of the armed forces assigned to foreign intelligence duties for the performance of a special service in the public interest.
Allows the Secretary of Defense to establish positions for civilian intelligence officers and employees of the military department to carry out necessary intelligence functions. Allows the Secretary to terminate the employment of any such employee whenever such action is in the interest of the United States.
Authorizes the Secretary and the Director of Central Intelligence to establish undergraduate training programs for civilian employees of the National Security Agency and the CIA to develop skills critical to the mission of such agencies.
Requires the Secretary and the Director of Central Intelligence to report to specified congressional committees on intelligence personnel systems.
Title VI: Miscellaneous - Allows the Secretary to authorize the Defense Mapping Agency to furnish data, supplies, and services to a foreign country or international organization.
Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to consider the transfer of a defense article or service exceeding $1,000,000 in value by an intelligence agency to a recipient outside that agency as a significant anticipated intelligence activity for the purposes of such Act. Prohibits the transfer of any defense articles or services outside the agency where funds for the intelligence or intelligence-related activity were denied by the Congress.
Provides that an individual shall forfeit his or her Federal pension if convicted of an offense relating to the disclosure of the identities of covert intelligence agents.
Title VII: Protection of United States Interests - Amends the State Department Basic Authority Act of 1956 to include any "entity" owned or controlled by a foreign government within the definition of "foreign mission."
Limits the number of Soviet nationals admitted to the United States as members of the Soviet mission to the United Nations to the same number of United States nationals who serve as members of the United States mission to the United Nations (unless the President determines that the admission of additional Soviet nationals would be in the interest of the United States).
Requires the Secretary of State and the Attorney General to report to specified congressional committees on the number of Soviet nationals admitted to the United States and on the implementation of this policy.
Requires certain persons engaged in legal commercial transactions to register as agents of foreign governments.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · 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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 34 actions.
- Oct 27, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-569.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 15, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 6, 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.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report considered in Senate.
- Oct 2, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers, message on House action held at the desk.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Oct 1, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 99-952 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 99-952 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Sep 25, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Aspin, Stratton, Dickinson, Ford (MI), Schroeder, Oakar, Horton, Young (AK).
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Hamilton, Stokes, McCurdy, Beilenson, Kastenmeier, Daniel, Roe, Brown (CA), McHugh, Dwyer (NJ), Stump, Ireland, Hyde, Cheney, Livingston, McEwen.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 24, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate appointed conferees Warner; Hart from the Committee on Armed Services.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate insists on its amendments, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Durenberger; Roth; Cohen; Hatch; Murkowski; Specter; Hecht; McConnell; Leahy; Bentsen; Nunn; Eagleton; Hollings; Boren; Bradley.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Sep 17, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · House Agreed to Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
- Sep 16, 1986FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
- Jul 30, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 28, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Armed Services Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jul 24, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Armed Services Committee
- Jul 23, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jul 17, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Intelligence (Permanent Select) Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Intelligence (Permanent Select) Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services Committee
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.