Narcotic Addict Treatment Act of 1974
Public Law 93-281 · S. 1115 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Richard Nixon (R) on May 14, 1974 · Health
Sponsor: Sen. Marlow Cook (R-KY)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Birch Bayh
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.
Narcotic Addict Treatment Act - Defines the terms "maintenance treatment" and "detoxification treatment" as used in the Act.
Provides, under the controlled Substances Act, that practitioners who dispense narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment shall obtain annually a separate registration for that purpose from the Attorney General.
States that the Attorney General shall register an applicant to dispense narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment (or both): (1) if the applicant is a practitioner who is determined by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to be qualified (under standards established by the Secretary) to engage in the treatment with respect to which registration is sought; (2) if the Attorney General determines that the applicant will comply with standards established by the Attorney General respecting (A) security of stocks of narcotic drugs for such treatment, and (B) the maintenance of records, in accordance with the Controlled Substances Act, on such drugs; and (3) if the Secretary determines that the applicant will comply with standards established by the Secretary (after consultation with the Attorney General) respecting the quantities of narcotic drugs which may be provided for unsupervised use by individuals in such treatment.
Grants the Attorney General the power to revoke or suspend a registration upon a finding that the registrant has failed to comply with any standard of this Act.
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. 10 actions.
- May 14, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-281.
- May 2, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- May 1, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Mar 19, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 12503.
- Jun 11, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Jun 8, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Jun 4, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Mar 6, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary 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.