Federal-Aid Highway Amendments of 1074
Public Law 93-643 · S. 3934 · 93rd Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Jan 4, 1975 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 307 yea, 67 nay307–67
- SenateRecorded vote: 68 yea, 27 nay68–27
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-Aid Highway Amendments - Authorizes appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund for the Federal-aid primary and secondary systems in rural areas. Authorizes appropriations for control of outdoor advertising, control of junkyards, landscaping, Indian reservation roads and bridges, a rural highway public mass transportation demonstration program, an engineering and feasibility study for a railroad-highway crossing demonstration project in Lafayette, Indiana.
Declares it to be national policy that elderly and handicapped persons have the same right as other persons to utilize mass transportation facilities. Requires that recipients of Federal financial assistance be required by the Secretary of Transportation to implement such policy.
Increases, and provides a formula for determination of, vehicle weight allowances on Federal-aid highways.
Requires States to certify that State law respecting maximum vehicle size and weight on Federal-aid systems in such State is being enforced.
Sets limitations on Alaska ferry operations.
Provides for the control of outdoor advertising and junkyards, authorizing appropriations for such control measures.
Authorizes appropriations for the special bridge replacement program.
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to not approve specified projects in any State which has a maximum speed limit in excess of 55 miles per hour.
Authorizes appropriations for access highways to public recreation areas on specified lakes.
Empowers the Secretary, with regard to the Northeast corridor demonstration rail crossings, to permit selected public crossings of unusually low-potential hazard to remain at ground level.
Authorizes projects to reconstruct or replace the Overseas Highway to Key West, Florida.
Authorizes Federal assistance for bikeway demonstration projects.
Provides for Federal grants for carpool demonstration programs.
Provides for Federal grants for the construction, reconstruction, and improvement of off-system roads.
Authorizes appropriations for a demonstration project of a high-density urban highway intermodal transportation connection in Minneapolis.
Authorizes grants to States for training of school bus drivers.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 93rd Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 68 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
68 yea27 nay5 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(47)
- Sen. James AbourezkD-SD
- Sen. Harold HughesD-IA
- Sen. George McGovernD-SD
- Sen. Dick ClarkD-IA
- Sen. Lee MetcalfD-MT
- Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
- Sen. Frank ChurchD-ID
Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA- Sen. Rupert HartkeD-IN
- 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. Edmund MuskieD-ME
- Sen. Dee HuddlestonD-KY
- 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. Jennings RandolphD-WV
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI- Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
- Sen. Howard CannonD-NV
- Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
- Sen. Russell LongD-LA
- 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. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. James AllenD-AL
- Sen. James EastlandD-MS
- Sen. Harry ByrdD-VA
Republicans who voted yea(21)
- Sen. Clifford CaseR-NJ
- Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
- Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
- Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
- Sen. Milton YoungR-ND
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK- Sen. Marlow CookR-KY
- Sen. John BeallR-MD
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM- Sen. Hiram FongR-HI
- Sen. Paul LaxaltR-NV
- Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
- Sen. Robert TaftR-OH
- Sen. Henry BellmonR-OK
- Sen. James McClureR-ID
- Sen. Roman HruskaR-NE
- Sen. John TowerR-TX
- Sen. Carl CurtisR-NE
- Sen. Clifford HansenR-WY
- Sen. Wallace BennettR-UT
- Sen. Paul FanninR-AZ
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1132 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. 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. 17 actions.
- Jan 4, 1975Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 93-643.
- Dec 24, 1974PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 18, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #570 (68-27).Senate roll call 570
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #570 (68-27).Senate roll call 570
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report, roll call #710 (307-67).House roll call 710
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report, roll call #710 (307-67).House roll call 710
- Dec 17, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1622.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 93-1622.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Dec 16, 1974Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- Dec 11, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Sep 12, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
- Sep 11, 1974FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #394 (85-0).Senate roll call 394
- Aug 20, 1974CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works 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.