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Age Discrimination in Employment Amendments of 1986

Public Law 99-592 · H.R. 4154 · 99th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 31, 1986 · Labor and Employment

Sponsor: Rep. Claude Pepper (D-FL-18)

Cosponsors (68): Rep. Gus Hawkins,

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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Age Discrimination in Employment Amendments of 1986 - Amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 to remove the existing 70-year upper age limit of the class to which the discrimination prohibitions apply, thus extending coverage to all individuals who are at least 40 years of age.

Removes the 69-year upper age limit for group health plan coverage.

Allows any State or local government or any interstate agency to refuse to hire or to discharge any individual because of age if such action is taken with respect to the employment of an individual as a firefighter or law enforcement officer. Defines "firefighter" and "law enforcement officer" for the purpose of such Act. Repeals this provision on December 31, 1993.

Directs the Secretary of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to conduct a study to determine whether physical and mental fitness tests are valid measurements of the ability and competence of police officers and fire-fighters. Requires the Secretary to submit the results of such study, along with recommendations, to the Congress.

Permits the compulsory retirement of tenured faculty who have attained 70 years of age. Repeals this provision on December 31, 1993.

Directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to study the potential consequences of eliminating mandatory retirement on institutions of higher education.

Delays the effect of this Act for employees under a collective bargaining contract until January 1, 1990, or the termination of such contract, if earlier.

Provides that the amendments made with respect to firefighters and law enforcement officers shall not apply with respect to any cause of action arising under such Act as in effect before January 1, 1987.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Oct 31, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-592.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 23, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 17, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Voice Vote.
  5. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  7. Sep 24, 1986FloorFloor · Received in the Senate and held at the desk by unanimous consent. Pending further disposition.
  8. Sep 23, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 394 - 0 (Record Vote No: 405).House roll call 405
  9. FloorFloor · House Agreed to Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
  10. FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
  11. Aug 6, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Education and Workforce Committee
  12. Jul 24, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Education and Workforce Committee
  13. Jul 22, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by House Education and Workforce Committee
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Employment Opportunities Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
  15. Mar 12, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Employment Opportunities Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
  16. Feb 18, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Employment Opportunities Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
  17. Feb 6, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Education and Workforce Committee
  18. 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.

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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.