Department of Defense Appropriation Authorization Act, 1974
Public Law 93-155 · H.R. 9286 · 93rd Congress · began in the House
Signed by Richard Nixon (R) on Nov 16, 1973 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Felix Hébert (D-LA-1)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. William Bray
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateRecorded vote: 69 yea, 12 nay69–12
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.
Department of Defense Appropriation Authorization Act - Authorizes appropriations during the fiscal year 1974 for procurement of aircraft, missiles, tracked combat vehicles, torpedoes, and other weapons, and research, development, test and evaluation for the Armed Forces.
Prescribes the authorized personnel strength for each active duty component and of the Selected Reserve of each reserve component of the Armed Forces and the military training student loads.
Establishes the Defense Manpower Commission, composed of seven members, to conduct a study of the manpower requirements of the Department of Defense on both a short-term and long-term basis, giving special consideration to enumerated factors, including: (1) the effectiveness with which civilian and active duty personnel are utilized, and (2) whether the pay structure, including fringe benefits, is adequate and equitable at all levels.
Authorizes, within specified limitations, the Secretary of Defense to assist the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Department of Transportation in providing medical emergency helicopter transportation services to civilians.
Empowers the Secretary of each military department to detail commissioned officers of the Armed Forces as students at accredited law schools. Limits such offers to 25 in any single fiscal year. Sets forth the eligibility requirements to be met by any officer and the competitive procedure for his selection. States that no agreement detailing any officer to an accredited law school may be made during periods when the President is authorized by law to induct persons into the armed forces involuntarily.
Directs the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare to take action to assure that specified hospitals of the Public Health Service continue in operation, continue to provide care for authorized persons and continue to conduct activities at January 1, 1973 levels.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 93rd Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 72 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
72 yea12 nay16 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(38)
- Sen. Lee MetcalfD-MT
- Sen. William HathawayD-ME
- Sen. Philip HartD-MI
Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA- Sen. Floyd HaskellD-CO
- Sen. Walter MondaleD-MN
- Sen. Thomas EagletonD-MO
- Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
- Sen. Birch BayhD-IN
- Sen. Stuart SymingtonD-MO
- Sen. Adlai StevensonD-IL
- Sen. Edmund MuskieD-ME
- Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
- Sen. Harrison WilliamsD-NJ
- Sen. Frank MossD-UT
- Sen. Abraham RibicoffD-CT
- Sen. Hubert HumphreyD-MN
- Sen. Mike GravelD-AK
- Sen. Warren MagnusonD-WA
- Sen. Lawton ChilesD-FL
Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV- Sen. John TunneyD-CA
- Sen. John PastoreD-RI
- Sen. Alan BibleD-NV
- Sen. Jennings RandolphD-WV
- Sen. Thomas McIntyreD-NH
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI- Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
- Sen. Howard CannonD-NV
- Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
- Sen. Russell LongD-LA
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
- Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
- Sen. Herman TalmadgeD-GA
- Sen. John SparkmanD-AL
- Sen. John McClellanD-AR
- Sen. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. James AllenD-AL
Republicans who voted yea(33)
- Sen. Clifford CaseR-NJ
- Sen. Richard SchweikerR-PA
- Sen. Jacob JavitsR-NY
- Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
- Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
- Sen. James PearsonR-KS
- Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
- Sen. Milton YoungR-ND
- Sen. George AikenR-VT
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK- Sen. Marlow CookR-KY
- Sen. John BeallR-MD
- Sen. Hugh ScottR-PA
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM- Sen. Hiram FongR-HI
- Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
- Sen. Robert TaftR-OH
- Sen. William RothR-DE
- Sen. William SaxbeR-OH
- Sen. Henry BellmonR-OK
- Sen. Robert GriffinR-MI
- Sen. William BrockR-TN
- Sen. James McClureR-ID
- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Dewey BartlettR-OK
- Sen. Roman HruskaR-NE
- Sen. William ScottR-VA
- Sen. John TowerR-TX
- Sen. Carl CurtisR-NE
- Sen. Clifford HansenR-WY
- Sen. Wallace BennettR-UT
- Sen. Paul FanninR-AZ
- Sen. Jesse HelmsR-NC
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 461 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. 1 yea vote was cast by members of neither major party and is highlighted on the compass but not listed. 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.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.
- Nov 16, 1973Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-155.
- Nov 7, 1973PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Nov 5, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #476 (69-12).Senate roll call 476
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #476 (69-12).Senate roll call 476
- Oct 31, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Oct 16, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 93-467.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 93-467.
- Oct 13, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-588.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-588.
- Oct 2, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- Oct 1, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #448 (91-7).Senate roll call 448
- Sep 6, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Armed Services Committee
- Aug 1, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Armed Services Committee
- Jul 31, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #411 (367-37).House roll call 411
- Jul 18, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Armed Services Committee
- Jul 16, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services 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.