Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance Act of 1996
Public Law 104-238 · S. 2101 · 104th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 3, 1996 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Cosponsors (11): Sen. Orrin Hatch, Sen. Herb Kohl,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance Act of 1996 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide educational assistance to the dependents of civilian Federal law enforcement officers who are killed or are permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty.
Authorizes the Attorney General to discontinue such assistance upon finding that the recipient fails to maintain satisfactory progress.
Authorizes retroactive assistance to each eligible dependent of a Federal law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty on or after May 1, 1992.
Authorizes appropriations.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Crime and Federal Government Surveillance 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. 12 actions.
- Oct 3, 1996Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-238.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 28, 1996PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 26, 1996FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. McCollum asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Judiciary Committee
- Sep 25, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Sep 24, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Sep 20, 1996FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment 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.