A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Atomic Weapons Rewards Act of 1955, and for other purposes.
Public Law 93-377 · S. 3669 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Aug 17, 1974 · Energy
Sponsor: Sen. John Pastore (D-RI)
Cosponsors: None
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.
Provides, under the Atomic Weapons Rewards Act of 1955, for the rewarding by payment of up to $500,000 to any person who furnishes original information to the United States leading to the finding or other acquisition by the United States of special nuclear material or an atomic weapon manufactured contrary to the laws of the United States.
Authorizes the Atomic Energy Commission to cooperate with any nation or group of nations by distributing special nuclear material. Stipulates that the Commission may distribute to the International Atomic Energy Agency or to any group of nations only such amounts of special nuclear materials and for such period of time as are authorized by Congress.
Directs the Commission to license or otherwise permit others to distribute special nuclear material to any person outside the United States under the same conditions, except as to charges, as would be applicable if the material were distributed by the Commission.
Authorizes the Commission to establish classes of special nuclear material and to exempt such classes from the requirements for a license set forth in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 when it makes a finding that such exemption would not be inimical to the common defense and security and would not constitute an unreasonable risk to the health and safety of the public.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Joint Atomic Energy Committee · Joint · 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. 8 actions.
- Aug 17, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-377.
- Aug 6, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Aug 1, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed House in lieu of H.R. 15416.
- Jul 11, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Jul 9, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Joint Atomic Energy Committee
- Jun 19, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Joint Atomic Energy 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.