A joint resolution to provide that a special gold medal honoring George Gershwin be presented to his sister, Frances Gershwin Godowsky, and a special gold medal honoring Ira Gershwin be presented to his widow, Lenore Gershwin, and to provide for the production of bronze duplicates of such medals for sale to the public.
Public Law 99-86 · H.J.Res. 251 · 99th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 9, 1985 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Rep. Sidney Yates (D-IL-9)
Cosponsors (234): Rep. Gary Ackerman, Rep. Joseph Addabbo,
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.
Authorizes the President, on behalf of the Congress, to present a gold medal honoring George Gershwin to his sister, Frances Gershwin Godowsky, and a gold medal honoring Ira Gershwin to his widow, Lenore Gershwin.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to provide for the sale of bronze duplicates of the medal. Authorizes appropriations.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Financial Services Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee
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. 13 actions.
- Aug 9, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-86.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 8, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 1, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
- Jul 16, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
- Jul 15, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jul 10, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
- Apr 23, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Financial Services Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Consumer Affairs and Coinage Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.