Veterans' Insurance Act of 1974
Public Law 93-289 · H.R. 6574 · 93rd Congress · began in the House
Signed by Richard Nixon (R) on May 24, 1974 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Sonny Montgomery (D-MS-3)
Cosponsors (20): Rep. William Dorn, Rep. John Hammerschmidt,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateRecorded vote: 79 yea, 0 nay79–0
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.
Veterans' Insurance Act - Provides that all premiums and other collections on the Veterans' Special Life Insurance and any total disability provisions added thereto shall be credited to a revolving fund in the Treasury of the United States which together with interest earned thereon, shall be available for the payment of liabilities under such insurance and any total disability provisions added thereto, including payments of dividends and refunds of unearned premiums.
Expands the term "member" for purposes of the Servicemen's Group Life Insurance program to include specified members of the Reserves and National Guard. Provides that the maximum amount of benefits payable under the Servicemen's Group Life Insurance shall be $20,000. Permits any former member insured under Veterans' Group Life Insurance who again becomes eligible for Servicemen's Group Life Insurance and declines such coverage solely for the purposes of maintaining his Veterans' Group Life Insurance in effect shall upon termination of coverage under Veterans' Group Life Insurance be automatically insured under Servicemen's Group Life Insurance.
Provides for the automatic conversion of Servicemen's Group Life Insurance to Veterans' Group Life Insurance subject to specified conditions. Redefines the order of precedence to be followed in the payment of insurance to beneficiaries under the Servicemen's Group Life Insurance and the Veterans' Group Life Insurance.
Provides that Veterans' Group Life Insurance shall be issued in the amount of $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 only. States that no person may carry a combined amount of Servicemen's Group Life Insurance and Veterans' Group Life Insurance in excess of $20,000 at any one time. Sets forth the risks and conditions of the Veterans' Group Life Insurance plan. Sets forth the procedure for the computation and collection of premiums for such plan.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Navy to allow a member of the National Guard who is not on active duty to make allotments from his military pay for the payment of premiums under a group life insurance program sponsored by the military department of the State in which such member holds his National Guard membership or by the National Guard association of such State if the State or association concerned has agreed in writing to reimburse the United States for all costs incurred by the United States in providing for such allotments. The amount of such costs and procedures for reimbursements of such costs received by the United States from the State or association concerned shall be credited to the appropriations or funds against which charges have been made for such costs.
Provides that the United States shall not be liable for any losses or damages suffered by any officer or employee of the United States in administering the allotment program authorized under this Act. Adds 37 U.S.C. 707
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 93rd Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 82 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
82 yea0 nay19 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(48)
- Sen. James AbourezkD-SD
- Sen. Mike MansfieldD-MT
- Sen. William ProxmireD-WI
- Sen. Gaylord NelsonD-WI
- Sen. George McGovernD-SD
- Sen. Dick ClarkD-IA
- Sen. Lee MetcalfD-MT
- Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
- Sen. William HathawayD-ME
- Sen. Philip HartD-MI
- Sen. Rupert HartkeD-IN
- Sen. James FulbrightD-AR
Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE- Sen. Floyd HaskellD-CO
- Sen. Walter MondaleD-MN
- Sen. Thomas EagletonD-MO
- Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
- Sen. Stuart SymingtonD-MO
- Sen. Adlai StevensonD-IL
- Sen. Edmund MuskieD-ME
- Sen. Dee HuddlestonD-KY
- Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
- Sen. Harrison WilliamsD-NJ
- Sen. Frank MossD-UT
- Sen. Abraham RibicoffD-CT
- Sen. Hubert HumphreyD-MN
- Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
- Sen. Warren MagnusonD-WA
- Sen. Lawton ChilesD-FL
Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV- Sen. Joseph MontoyaD-NM
- 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. Howard CannonD-NV
- Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
- Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
- Sen. Herman TalmadgeD-GA
- Sen. Samuel ErvinD-NC
- Sen. John SparkmanD-AL
- Sen. John McClellanD-AR
- Sen. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. James AllenD-AL
- Sen. Harry ByrdD-VA
Republicans who voted yea(33)
- Sen. Clifford CaseR-NJ
- Sen. Richard SchweikerR-PA
- Sen. Edward BrookeR-MA
- Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
- Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
- Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
- Sen. James PearsonR-KS
- Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
- Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
- Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
- 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. Howard BakerR-TN
- Sen. William RothR-DE
- Sen. Peter DominickR-CO
- Sen. Robert GriffinR-MI
- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Norris CottonR-NH
- Sen. Dewey BartlettR-OK
- Sen. Roman HruskaR-NE
- Sen. John TowerR-TX
- Sen. Carl CurtisR-NE
- Sen. Clifford HansenR-WY
- Sen. Paul FanninR-AZ
- Sen. Jesse HelmsR-NC
- Sen. Barry GoldwaterR-AZ
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 711 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. 11 actions.
- May 24, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-289.
- May 14, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- May 9, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Apr 8, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 1835, roll call #124 (79-0).Senate roll call 124
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
- May 8, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
- May 7, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed House, roll call #125 (342-1).House roll call 125
- Apr 12, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Apr 4, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Veterans' Affairs 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.