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A joint resolution to provide for the reappointment of Murray Gell-Mann as citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Public Law 99-621 · S.J.Res. 268 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 6, 1986 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)

Cosponsors (2): Sen. Jake Garn,

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.

Provides for the reappointment of Murray Gell-Mann as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

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. 14 actions.

  1. Nov 6, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-621.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 30, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 18, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments by Voice Vote.
  5. Oct 14, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  7. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Committee on House Administration
  8. Oct 6, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
  9. Oct 3, 1986FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  10. Oct 2, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Rules and Administration Committee
  11. Oct 1, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Rules and Administration Committee
  12. Sep 23, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Rules and Administration Committee
  13. Feb 6, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Rules and Administration Committee
  14. 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.