Disabled Veterans' and Servicemen's Automobile and Adaptive Equipment Amendments of 1974
Public Law 93-538 · S. 2363 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Dec 22, 1974 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Sen. Alan Cranston (D-CA)
Cosponsors (9): Sen. Rupert Hartke, Sen. Jennings Randolph,
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.
Disabled Veterans' and Servicemen's Automobile and Adaptive Equipment Amendments - Redefines disabled veterans and servicemen eligible for specified assistance in acquiring automobile and adaptive equipment. Excludes presently designated periods of service for eligibility for such assistance, and makes eligible such individuals who served during World War II or thereafter.
Sets forth the definition of adaptive equipment as it relates to such automobiles for such individuals. Increases from $2,800 to $3,300 the maximum amount of assistance authorized in providing an automobile to each eligible individual.
Directs the Administrator of the Veterans Administration to provide special driver training courses to instruct eligible persons to operate automobiles or other conveyances.
Directs the Administrator, through the Chief Medical Director, to specially emphasize adaptive equipment and adapted conveyances and support for their production and distribution in carrying out prosthetic and orthopedic applicance research and development.
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. 10 actions.
- Dec 22, 1974Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-538.
- Dec 11, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 9, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- Nov 26, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Oct 15, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Oct 11, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Oct 10, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Aug 3, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Veterans' 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.