Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974
Public Law 93-415 · S. 821 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Sep 7, 1974 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN)
Cosponsors (24): Sen. Marlow Cook, Sen. Alan Bible,
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.
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act - =Title I: Findings and Declaration of Purpose= -
Defines the terms used in this Act.
Sets forth the purpose of this Act, including evaluation of all federally assisted juvenile delinquency programs and the improvement of such programs.
=Title II: Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention= - Creates within the Justice Department, Law Enforcement, Administration, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to administer the programs authorized pursuant to this Act.
Establishes as an independent organization in the executive branch of the Federal Government the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to coordinate all Federal juvenile delinquency programs.
Establishes the National Advisory Committee for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to make recommendations to the Administrator of the Law Enforcement Administration with respect to planning, policy, priorities, operations, and management of all Federal juvenile delinquency programs.
Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to States and local governments to assist in the planning and operation of juvenile justice programs. Sets forth procedures and criteria for allocation of such grants.
Authorizes the Administrator to make grants to, and enter into contracts with, public and private agencies to develop new approaches to dealing with juvenile delinquency and model programs and methods to keep students in elementary and secondary schools.
Establishes within the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Office a National Institute for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to provide a coordinating center for useful data regarding the treatment and control of juvenile offenders and to provide training for those connected with the treatment and control of juvenile offenders. Sets forth specific duties of the Institute with respect to its information and training functions.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the provisions of this Title.
=Title III: Runaway Youth= - Runaway Youth Act - Authorizes the Secretary to prescribe such rules as he considers necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this title.
Authorizes the Secretary to make grants and to provide technical assistance to localities and nonprofit private agencies in accordance with the provisions of this part. Provides that grants under this title shall be made for the purpose of developing local facilities to deal primarily with the immediate needs of runaway youth in a manner which is outside the law enforcement structure and juvenile justice system.
Requires that to be eligible for assistance under this title, an applicant shall propose to establish, strengthen, or fund an existing or proposed runaway house, a locally controlled facility providing temporary shelter, and counseling services to juveniles who have left home without the permission of their parents or guardians.
Requires that, in order to qualify for assistance under this title, an applicant shall submit a plan to the Secretary meeting the requirements of this title.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the purposes of this Title.
=Title IV: Extension and Amendment of the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act= - Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1975 to carry out the purposes of the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act.
Repeals the minimum state allotment provisions of the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Act.
=Title V: Miscellaneous and Conforming Amendments= - Makes various technical and conforming amendments to the Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act to place such Act in conformity with the purposes and objectives of this Act.
Establishes within the Bureau of Prisons the National Institute of Corrections to operate under the supervision of an Advisory Board for the purpose of planning and developing new and improved methods of operation and management of correctional institutions. Authorizes appropriations to carry out such functions.
Makes various technical and conforming amendments.
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. 19 actions.
- Sep 7, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-415.
- Aug 27, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Aug 21, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Aug 19, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate receded and concurred in certain House amendments.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1298.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1298.
- Aug 16, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 93-1103.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 93-1103.
- Aug 2, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Jul 31, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended (provisions of H.R. 15276 inserted).
- Jul 25, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #331 (88-1).Senate roll call 331
- Jul 16, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Feb 8, 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.