Armed Forces Enlisted Personnel Bonus Revision Act of 1974
Public Law 93-277 · S. 2771 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Richard Nixon (R) on May 10, 1974 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Sen. John Stennis (D-MS)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. John Tunney
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.
Armed Forces Enlisted Personnel Bonus Revision Act - Provides that a member of a uniformed service who: (1) has completed at least twenty-one months of continuous active duty (other than for training) but not more than ten years of active duty; (2) is designated as having a critical military skill; (3) is not receiving special pay; and (4) reenlists or voluntarily extends his enlistment in a regular component of the service concerned for a period of at least three years; may be paid a bonus, not to exceed six months of the basic pay to which he was entitled at the time of his discharge or release, multiplied by the number of years, or the monthly fractions thereof, of additional obligated service, not to exceed six years, or $15,000, whichever is the lesser amount.
Provides that a person who enlists in an Armed Force for a period of at least four years in a skill designated as critical, or who extends his initial period of active duty to a total of at least four years in a skill designated as critical, may be paid a bonus in an amount prescribed by the appropriate Secretary, but not more than $3,000. Amends 37 U.S.C. 308
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. 17 actions.
- May 10, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-277.
- Apr 29, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Apr 24, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Apr 23, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Apr 10, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-985.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-985.
- Apr 4, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Mar 18, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #93 (237-97).House roll call 93
- Mar 1, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Armed Services Committee
- Dec 21, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services Committee
- Dec 20, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Dec 19, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Armed Services Committee
- Dec 4, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Armed Services Committee
- 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.