State Department/USIA Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1975
Public Law 93-475 · S. 3473 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Oct 26, 1974 · Economics and Public Finance
Sponsor: Sen. John Sparkman (D-AL)
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.
Department of State and United States Information Agency Appropriations Authorization Act - Authorizes appropriations for the State Department and the United States Information Agency for fiscal year 1975.
States that the Secretary of State may provide for payment of a gratuity to the surviving dependents of any Foreign Service employee who dies as a result of injuries sustained in the performance of duties outside the United States in an amount equal to one year's salary at the time of death.
Requires the Secretary of State to submit to the Congress annual reports of expenditures made and activities carried on under authority of this Act.
Repeals the Formosa Resolution, which authorizes the President to employ the Armed Forces of the United States for protecting the security of Formosa, the Pescadores, and related territories.
Prohibits the use of any funds appropriated under this Act for any payment to the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund to meet any unfunded liability of such fund created by the inclusion of officers and employees of the Agency of International Development in the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System.
Authorizes the appropriation of funds for payment prior to January 1, 1975 of United States expenses of membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and the World Health Organization.
Provides that the United States Ambassador to a foreign country shall have full responsibility for the direction, coordination, and supervision of all United States Government officers and employees in that country, except for personnel under the command of a United States area military commander.
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Secretary of State should prepare a detailed plan for future United States economic and military assistance to the Government of South Vietnam, including a specific timetable for the phased reduction of such assistance to the point when the United States will cease to be the principal source of funds and material for South Vietnam's self-defense and economic viability; (2) the total number of personnel of the executive branch of the United States Government (other than personnel of the Department of State, the United States Information Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Defense, and volunteers carrying out the Peace Corps Act) who were present in foreign countries on January 1, 1974, and who were citizens or nationals of the United States, should be substantially reduced; and (3) the total number of personnel of the Department of Defense assigned or detailed to military attache activities or to military assistance advisory groups or military aid missions, who were present in foreign countries on January 1, 1974, and who were citizens or nationals of the United States, should be substantially reduced.
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. 16 actions.
- Oct 26, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-475.
- Oct 17, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 11, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Oct 9, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Oct 8, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1447.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1447.
- Sep 17, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- Sep 4, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Aug 21, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 16168.
- May 21, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Foreign Affairs Committee
- May 20, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- May 9, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Foreign Relations 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.