InsideGov
Congress · Laws

Small Business Emergency Relief Act

Public Law 94-190 · H.R. 5541 · 94th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Dec 31, 1975 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. Neal Smith (D-IA-4)

Cosponsors (11): Rep. Robert Bergland,

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.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Small Business Emergency Relief Act - Declares it to be the policy of Congress to provide relief to small business concerns which have fixed-price Government contracts where such concerns encounter performance difficulties because of the energy crisis or rapid and unexpected escalations of contract costs.

Provides that pursuant to an application by a small business concern the head of any executive agency may terminate for the convenience of the Government any fixed-price contract between that agency and such small business concern upon a finding that specified cost difficulties are shown. Declares that such authority expires on September 30, 1976.

Permits delays in contract performance resulting from the energy shortage to be deemed excusable delay under the default terms in the contract.

Requires enumerated pieces of documentation to support any such request for relief by a small business concern, including a history of performance under the contract, statements of costs and profits, and balance sheets.

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.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.

  1. Dec 31, 1975Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  2. PresidentPresident · Public law 94-190.
  3. Dec 19, 1975PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
  4. Dec 18, 1975PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
  5. PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
  6. Dec 17, 1975Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
  8. Dec 15, 1975Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
  9. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
  10. Dec 12, 1975Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 94-724.
  11. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 94-724.
  12. Nov 6, 1975Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
  13. Oct 30, 1975Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
  14. FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, in lieu of S. 1259, roll call #462 (82-10).Senate roll call 462
  15. FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
  16. Sep 17, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  17. May 22, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  19. Apr 24, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee
  20. Apr 22, 1975FloorFloor · Measure passed House, roll call #133 (402-0).House roll call 133
  21. FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
  22. Apr 18, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Small Business Committee
  23. Mar 26, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Small Business Committee
  24. 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.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.