A bill to authorize certain programs and activities of the Government of the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
Public Law 93-140 · H.R. 8250 · 93rd Congress · began in the House
Signed by Richard Nixon (R) on Oct 26, 1973 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Rees (D-CA-26)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Charles Diggs
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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 Commissioner of the District of Columbia to carry out the following programs and activities of the Government of the District of Columbia: (1) payment of funeral and burial services of indigent residents of the District; (2) cash payments to needy patients in hospitals operated by or under contract with the District; (3) payment for the care of indigent persons in hospitals under sectarian and nonsectarian control; (4) payment of benefits to workers in District facilities; (5) payment for fire prevention and fire protection services to District Government institutions located outside the District; (6) expenditure of funds for the prevention and detection of crime by the Chief of Police; (7) payment of expenses of officers and members of the Metropolitan Police Department for attending pistol matches; (8) payment of rewards for information leading to the apprehension of criminal fugitives; (9) payment of a modest sum to prisoners released from a penal or correctional institution; (10) establishment of a Construction Services Working Fund; (11) payment of expenses related to snow and ice removal; (12) funding of grade-cross elimination projects; (13) matching funds for purchase of civil defense equipment and supplies; (14) payment for acquisition of land for the Washington aqueduct; (15) payment of administrative expenses of workmen's compensation law; (16) driver education programs; (17) furnishing of subsistence supplies and transportation for handicapped children attending special education classes; (18) compensation of personnel employed in the summer school program of the public school system; and (19) study of adequacy of service and of the need for regulation of the taxicab industry in the District.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the purposes of this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
District of Columbia Committee · House · referred to, reported by
District of Columbia Committee · Senate · referred to, reported by
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. 11 actions.
- Oct 26, 1973Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-140.
- Oct 16, 1973PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 12, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Aug 2, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Aug 1, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate District of Columbia Committee
- Jun 12, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate District of Columbia Committee
- Jun 11, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #205 (268-84).House roll call 205
- Jun 5, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House District of Columbia Committee
- May 30, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House District of Columbia 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.