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A joint resolution to appeal for the release of Soviet Jewry.

Public Law 99-81 · S.J.Res. 161 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 6, 1985 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Sen. Robert Dole (R-KS)

Cosponsors (63): Sen. Richard Lugar,

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.

Calls on the Soviet Union to: (1) release Anatoly Shcharansky, Yosef Begun, and other Prisoners of Conscience and allow them to leave the Soviet Union; (2) issue exit permits to long term "Refuseniks" including Ida Nudel and Vladimir Slepak; (3) allow thousands of Jews who wish to emigrate, or to be repatriated to their homeland, and who have requested exit permits to leave this year; and (4) pledge to deal expeditiously and in a humanitarian way during the next three years with those requesting exit permits.

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. Aug 6, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-81.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Jul 31, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Jul 25, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
  5. FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
  6. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Foreign Affairs Committee
  7. Jul 24, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Foreign Affairs Committee
  8. Jul 22, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
  9. Jul 18, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
  10. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  11. Jul 17, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  13. Jul 11, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Foreign Relations 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.