A bill to require that a portion of the mail of Congress and the executive branch include a photograph and biography of a missing child.
Public Law 99-87 · S. 1195 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 9, 1985 · Families
Sponsor: Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D-OH)
Cosponsors (18): Sen. Paula Hawkins, Sen. William Roth,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- 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.
(Senate agreed to House amendments with an amendment)
Directs the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Department of Justice) to prescribe general guidelines under which penalty (official) mail may be used to assist in the location and recovery of missing children. Requires each executive department and agency to prescribe regulations in accordance with such guidelines. Directs the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the House Commission on Mailing Standards to prescribe rules and regulations for their respective Houses for the use of franked mail for such purpose. Sets forth deadlines for the issuance of such guidelines and rules.
Requires, not later than two years after enactment of this Act, reports by such entities on the effectiveness of, and recommendations on the continuance of, such mailings.
Terminates the provisions of this Act two and one-half years after enactment.
Permits franked mail to contain information relating to missing children.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Committee on House Administration · House · referred toSubcommittee: Procurement and Printing Subcommittee- Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Postal Personnel and Modernization 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. 18 actions.
- Aug 9, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-87.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 2, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Aug 1, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments to House Amendments to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 31, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate concurred in the House amendments with an amendment (SP564) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jul 29, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jul 25, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jul 24, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jul 23, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Postal Personnel and Modernization Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Postal Personnel and Modernization Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jun 25, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Postal Personnel and Modernization Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jun 13, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Procurement and Printing Subcommittee of the House Committee on House Administration
- Jun 10, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Postal Personnel and Modernization Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jun 6, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- May 22, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- 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.