Defense Production Act Amendments of 1974
Public Law 93-426 · S. 3270 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Sep 30, 1974 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Sen. John Sparkman (D-AL)
Cosponsors (2): Sen. John Tower, Sen. John Johnston
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.
Defense Production Act Amendments - Repeals the provisions of the Defense Production Act of 1950 authorizing loans to private business for defense purposes and loans to private business and government agencies for the purchase of raw materials and installation of equipment.
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to cancel the outstanding balance of all unpaid notes issued to the Secretary for such loans, together with interest accrued and unpaid.
States that at the close of each fiscal year there shall be deposited into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts, from any amounts appropriated under this Act, an amount which the Secretary of the Treasury determines necessary to provide for the payment of any interest accrued and unpaid under this Act.
National Commission on Supplies and Shortages Act - Establishes as an independent instrumentality of the Federal Government a National Commission on Supplies and Shortages. Sets forth the membership composition of the Commission. Provides that it shall be the purpose of the Commission to facilitate more effective and informed responses to resource and commodity shortages and to report to the President and Congress on needed institutional adjustments for examining and predicting shortages and on the existence or possibility of shortages with respect to essential resources and commodities.
Authorizes and directs the Comptroller General to undertake a study to recommend legislative and administrative actions to develop a strategic stockpiling and inventories policy which facilitates the availability of essential natural resources.
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. 12 actions.
- Sep 30, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-426.
- Sep 18, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Sep 17, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments to the House amendments with amendments.
- Aug 20, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments with an amendment.
- Aug 1, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 13044.
- Jun 17, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Financial Services Committee
- Jun 13, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Jun 12, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
- Mar 28, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 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.