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S 995 99th Congress Senate International Affairs American economic assistance American investments Apartheid Black businesses Black students Business and commerce Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Coins and coinage Computers Conferences Congress and Members of Congress Congressional oversight Discrimination in employment Education Export controls Exports Federal advisory bodies Finance and Financial Sector Foreign Trade and International Finance

Anti-Apartheid Action Act of 1985

Introduced: April 24, 1985 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 99th Congress ended
It never became law before the 99th Congress (1985–1986) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 13 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 9, 1986
Indefinitely postponed by Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Jul 11, 1985
Returned to the Calendar. Calendar No. 216.
Jul 11, 1985
Senate passed companion measure H.R. 1460 in lieu of this measure by Yea-Nay Vote. 80-12. Record Vote No: 149.
Jul 11, 1985
Senate incorporated this measure in H.R. 1460 as an amendment.
Jul 11, 1985
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
Jul 10, 1985
Cloture on the motion to proceed invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 88-8. Record Vote No: 143.
Jul 8, 1985
Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the bill presented in Senate.
Jul 8, 1985
Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate.
Jun 28, 1985
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 216.
Jun 28, 1985
Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported to Senate by Senator Lugar under the authority of the order of Jun 27, 85 with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 99-99.
Jun 4, 1985
Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Apr 24, 1985
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Apr 24, 1985
Introduced in Senate
 Amendments to this bill 81

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

6 agreed to 1 failed 74 pending / other

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
SAMDT 522 To substitute provisions of a House-passed bill. Agreed to Jul 11, 1985
SAMDT 521 To express the sense of the Senate toward the African National Congress. Agreed to Jul 11, 1985
SAMDT 520 To make technical and classifying corrections, relating to the section dealing with exports to the South Afri… Agreed to Jul 11, 1985
SAMDT 519 To extend sanctions to the Soviet Union, Poland, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Angola, Ethiopia, East Germany, Lib… Failed Jul 11, 1985
SAMDT 518 To restrict the imposition of sanctions. Agreed to Jul 11, 1985
SAMDT 517 To require the President to transmit to the Speaker of the House and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on … Agreed to Jul 11, 1985
SAMDT 516 To expand the statement of principles in section 11 of the bill. Agreed to Jul 11, 1985
SAMDT 433 To provide for the preemption of State laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances. Pending Jun 27, 1985
SAMDT 513 To apply the sanctions of the bill to the denial of human rights in the Soviet Union and the People's Republi… Pending
SAMDT 512 To provide for a report on exports by other countries to South Africa. Pending
SAMDT 507 Pending
SAMDT 506 Pending
SAMDT 505 Pending
SAMDT 504 Pending
SAMDT 503 Pending
SAMDT 502 Pending
SAMDT 501 Pending
SAMDT 500 Pending
SAMDT 499 Pending
SAMDT 498 Pending
SAMDT 497 Pending
SAMDT 496 Pending
SAMDT 495 Pending
SAMDT 494 Pending
SAMDT 493 Pending
SAMDT 492 Pending
SAMDT 491 Pending
SAMDT 490 Pending
SAMDT 489 Pending
SAMDT 488 Pending
SAMDT 487 Pending
SAMDT 486 Pending
SAMDT 485 Pending
SAMDT 484 Pending
SAMDT 483 Pending
SAMDT 482 Pending
SAMDT 481 Pending
SAMDT 480 Pending
SAMDT 479 Pending
SAMDT 478 Pending
SAMDT 477 Pending
SAMDT 476 Pending
SAMDT 475 Pending
SAMDT 474 Pending
SAMDT 473 Pending
SAMDT 472 Pending
SAMDT 471 Pending
SAMDT 470 Pending
SAMDT 469 Pending
SAMDT 468 Pending

Showing the 50 most recent of 81 amendments.

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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Anti-Apartheid Action Act of 1985 - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to earmark specified amounts of the education development assistance funds to finance scholarships for black South Africans who are attending universities, colleges, and secondary schools in South Africa and who are selected by a national or regional panel of educators appointed by the chief of the U.S. diplomatic mission to South Africa.

Earmarks a specified amount of the funds available for human rights assistance for grants to nongovernmental organizations in South Africa. Requires such grants to be made by the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs.

Directs the Secretary of the State (the Secretary) and other heads of Federal agencies carrying out activities in South Africa to make affirmative efforts in procuring goods and services to assist business enterprises having more than 50 percent beneficial ownership by South African blacks or other nonwhite South Africans.

Permits the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to issue insurance, reinsurance, and loan guaranties in connection with a project in South Africa, notwithstanding the absence of an agreement with South Africa, if such investment is otherwise eligible except that: (1) the issuance of such insurance, reinsurance, or guaranty shall only be made to promote joint ventures between businesses controlled by South African blacks or other nonwhite South Africans and businesses controlled or owned by U.S. nationals; and (2) the U.S. national holds a minority interest or agrees to relinquish its majority interest during the course of the joint venture.

Amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to direct the Export-Import Bank to take active steps to encourage the use of its facilities to guarantee, insure, extend credit, or participate in the extension of credit to businesses in South Africa that are majority owned by South African blacks or other nonwhite South Africans.

Expresses the sense of the Congress that the labor practices used by the United States Government for hiring South Africans, for paying South Africans for employment services, and for the employment of South Africans arranged by contract should represent the best American labor practices and should serve as a model for the labor practices of U.S. nationals in South Africa. Requires such Government labor practices to be governed by specified principles of labor practices.

Expresses the sense of the Congress that any U.S. national that employs more than 25 persons in South Africa should take the necessary steps to insure that certain principles relating to employment practices are implemented. Prohibits any Federal agency from interceding with a foreign government regarding the export marketing activities in any country of a U.S. national employing more than 25 persons in South Africa that is not implementing those employment principles. Prohibits any such national from making any new investment in South Africa. Sets forth such principles.

Authorizes the Secretary to issue guidelines and, upon request, advisory opinions on compliance with such principles.

Provides for implementing and enforcing this Act. Sets forth penalties for violations of this Act.

Declares that it shall be U.S. policy to impose economic sanctions against South Africa if within two years significant progress has not been made toward ending apartheid.

Urges the President to raise the issue of reform in South Africa during the May 1985 economic summit and to establish with the other industrialized democracies in Inter-Allied Working Group on South Africa to monitor reforms and, if necessary, develop multilateral economic sanctions against South Africa.

Directs the President to submit to the Congress on March 1, 1987 and every six months thereafter a report on the extent to which significant progress has been made toward ending apartheid, including: (1) a detailed assessment of the extent of progress made in South Africa in housing black workers with their families, abolishing the pass laws, ending the migrant labor system, allowing unrestricted labor union rights for all, and increasing local investment in black education and training; (2) a statement of any conclusions drawn by the Inter-Allied Working Group on South Africa; (3) a determination by the President on whether significant progress has been made in achieving the purposes decribed in clause 1; and (4) if the President determines that significant progress has not been made, a recommendation on which of specified sanctions should be imposed. Provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution calling for such sanctions.

What's happening now October 9, 1986

Indefinitely postponed by Senate by Unanimous Consent.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 995: Anti-Apartheid Action Act of 1985. 99th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/99-S-995/
MLA
"S. 995: Anti-Apartheid Action Act of 1985." 99th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/99-S-995/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 995, 99th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/99-S-995/.
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