Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974
Public Law 93-629 · H.R. 11273 · 93rd Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Jan 3, 1975 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Rep. Louis Frey (R-FL-9)
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.
Federal Noxious Weed Act - Permits the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate such quarantines and regulations requiring inspection of products and articles of any character whatsoever as he deems necessary to prevent the dissemination into the United States of any noxious weeds.
Prohibits the movement or sale of any noxious weed identified in a regulation into or through the United States unless authorized under permit from the Secretary.
Allows the Secretary, in order to prevent the dissemination of any noxious weed, to destroy, or otherwise dispose of, any product or article of any character whatsoever which he has reason to believe is infested by or contains any such noxious weed, if there is no less drastic action which would be adequate to prevent the dissemination of noxious weeds into the United States or interstate.
Enables the owner of any article destroyed to bring an action against the United States in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia within one year after such destruction.
Permits any authorized inspector, without a warrant, to stop any persons or means of conveyance moving into or through the United States, and to inspect any noxious weeds and any products and articles of any character whatsoever carried thereby, to determine whether such persons or means of conveyance are moving any noxious weeds contrary to this Act. Allows the entry with a warrant into any premises in the United States for inspections or other actions necessary under this Act.
Provides a fine not exceeding $5000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or both, for violation of this Act.
Authorizes the Secretary to cooperate with agencies and other organizations to control the spread of any noxious weed.
Authorizes appropriations of such sums as Congress from time to time may determine to be necessary to carry out this Act.
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.
- Jan 3, 1975Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-629.
- Dec 24, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 19, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Dec 11, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Dec 9, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Dec 19, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
- Dec 18, 1973FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- Dec 12, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Agriculture Committee
- Nov 6, 1973CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Agriculture Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.