Health Programs Extension Act of 1973
Public Law 93-45 · S. 1136 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Richard Nixon (R) on Jun 18, 1973 · Health
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Cosponsors (16): Sen. Harrison Williams, Sen. Jennings Randolph,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateRecorded vote: 94 yea, 0 nay94–0
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.
Health Programs Extension Act - =Title I: Amendments To Public Health Service Act= - Extends appropriations through fiscal year 1974 for the following programs under the Public Health Service Act: (1) Health Services Research and Development, (2) National Health Surveys and Studies, (3) Public Health Training, (4) Migrant Health, (5) Comprehensive Health Planning and Services, (6) Assistance to Medical Libraries, (7) Hill-Burton Programs for Construction of Medical Library Facilities,, (8) Training in the Allied Health Professions, (9) Regional Medical Programs, and (10) Population Research and Family Planning.
=Title II: Amendments to the Community Mental Health Centers Act= - Extends appropriations through fiscal year 1974 for the following programs under the Community Mental Health Centers Act: (1) construction assistance for mental health centers, (2) staffing assistance for mental health centers, (3) alcoholism programs, (4) drug abuse programs, (5) alcoholism and drug abuse programs, and (6) mental health of children.
=Title III: Amendments to the Developmental Disabilities Services and Facilities Construction Act= - Extends appropriations through fiscal year 1974 for construction, services, and planning under the Developmental Disabilities Services and Facilities Construction Act.
-Title IV=: Miscellaneous= - Extends appropriations through fiscal year 1974 for programs under the Medical Facilities Construction and Modernization Amendment of 1970.
Prohibits a court or a public official from using receipt of assistance under the Public Health Service Act, the Community Mental Health Centers Act, and the Developmental Disabilities Services and Facilities Construction Act as a basis for requiring an individual to perform or assist in the performance of sterilization procedures or abortions, if such action would be contrary to his religious beliefs or moral conviction.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 93rd Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 96 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
96 yea0 nay4 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(55)
- Sen. James AbourezkD-SD
- Sen. Harold HughesD-IA
- 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. Frank ChurchD-ID
- Sen. William HathawayD-ME
- Sen. Philip HartD-MI
Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA- 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. Birch BayhD-IN
- Sen. Stuart SymingtonD-MO
- Sen. Adlai StevensonD-IL
- 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. Mike GravelD-AK
- 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. Fritz HollingsD-SC
- Sen. Howard CannonD-NV
- Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
- Sen. Russell LongD-LA
- Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
- Sen. Gale McGeeD-WY
- Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
- Sen. Herman TalmadgeD-GA
- Sen. Samuel ErvinD-NC
- Sen. John SparkmanD-AL
- Sen. John McClellanD-AR
- Sen. James AllenD-AL
- Sen. James EastlandD-MS
- Sen. Harry ByrdD-VA
Republicans who voted yea(40)
- Sen. Clifford CaseR-NJ
- Sen. Richard SchweikerR-PA
- Sen. Edward BrookeR-MA
- Sen. Jacob JavitsR-NY
- 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. Edward GurneyR-FL
- Sen. Howard BakerR-TN
- Sen. Robert TaftR-OH
- Sen. William RothR-DE
- Sen. William SaxbeR-OH
- Sen. Peter DominickR-CO
- Sen. Henry BellmonR-OK
- Sen. Robert GriffinR-MI
- Sen. William BrockR-TN
- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Dewey BartlettR-OK
- Sen. Roman HruskaR-NE
- Sen. William ScottR-VA
- Sen. John TowerR-TX
- Sen. Carl CurtisR-NE
- Sen. Clifford HansenR-WY
- Sen. Wallace BennettR-UT
- 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 163 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.
- Jun 18, 1973Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-45.
- Jun 6, 1973PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Jun 5, 1973Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments, roll call #171 (94-0).Senate roll call 171
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendments, roll call #171 (94-0).Senate roll call 171
- May 31, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 7806.
- Mar 29, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Mar 27, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #66 (72-19).Senate roll call 66
- Mar 23, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Mar 13, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Mar 8, 1973IntroducedIntroduced · 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.