African Famine Relief and Recovery Act of 1985
Public Law 99-8 · S. 689 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Apr 2, 1985 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Claiborne Pell
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.
African Famine Relief and Recovery Act of 1985 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize the President to provide assistance for famine relief, rehabilitation, and recovery in Africa. Requires that the funds appropriated for such relief shall be used primarily for grants to private and voluntary organizations and international organizations.
Requires that a significant portion of the amount appropriated for such relief be used for emergency health projects. Authorizes transferring a specified portion of the amount appropriated for such relief to the operating expenses of the Agency for International Development. Authorizes supplemental appropriations for FY 1985 for such relief.
Authorizes supplemental appropriations for FY 1985 to the Department of State for migration and refugee assistance in Africa. Authorizes making available to the United Nations Office of Emergency Operations in Africa up to 54 percent of such funds to address the needs created by refugees and displaced persons in Africa. Provides that the remainder of such funds shall be used by the Bureau for Refugee Programs of the Department of State for emergency relief and recovery efforts in Africa.
Provides for reimbursement of the Department of Defense if the Department of Defense furnishes goods or services for African supplemental famine assistance.
Requires that amounts appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be available only for aid in those African countries that have suffered during 1984 and 1985 from exceptional food supply problems due to drought and other calamities.
Directs the President to ensure that adequate procedures have been established so that assistance is provided to the famine victims for whom it is intended.
Directs the President to report to the Congress by June 30, 1985, on the U.S. contribution to meet emergency needs for African famine assistance.
Requires the President to submit to the Congress a final report on this Act by September 30, 1985. Sets forth the information to be included in such report.
Committees
The record shows no committee referral for this bill.
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. 9 actions.
- Apr 2, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-8.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 22, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Mar 21, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 19, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · The bill was amended by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- 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.