InsideGov
Congress · Laws

To amend the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 to modernize terms relating to minorities.

Public Law 114-157 · H.R. 4238 · 114th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on May 20, 2016 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Sponsor: Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY-6)

Cosponsors (76): Rep. Ed Royce,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 376 yea, 0 nay376–0
  • 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.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This bill amends: (1) the Department of Energy Organization Act to revise the definition of "minority" to mean any U.S. citizen who is an Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, African American, Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Native American, or Alaska Native; and (2) the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of 1976 to revise the definition of "minority group members" (who own minority group enterprises) to mean U.S. citizens who are Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders, African American, Hispanic, Native American, or Alaska Natives.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 114th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 376 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

376 yea0 nay57 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(163)

Republicans who voted yea(213)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 802 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

Report a correction

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.

Report a correction

Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 8Related bill

    North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. May 20, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-157.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. May 13, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. May 10, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. May 9, 2016FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  6. Mar 1, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  7. Feb 29, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 376 - 0 (Roll no. 102).House roll call 102
  9. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  10. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  11. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4238.
  12. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  13. FloorFloor · Mr. Whitfield moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  14. Feb 25, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  16. Feb 24, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  17. Feb 11, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  19. Feb 10, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  20. Dec 18, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
  21. Dec 14, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
  22. Dec 11, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee …
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

Report a correction

Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.