A bill to provide for starling and blackbird control in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Public Law 94-207 · H.R. 11510 · 94th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Feb 4, 1976 · Animals
Sponsor: Rep. Robin Beard (R-TN-6)
Cosponsors (14): Rep. Ed Jones, Rep. Clifford Allen,
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.
Declares that large concentrations of starlings, grackles, blackbirds, and other birds in Kentucky and Tennessee pose a hazard to public health and safety. Declares that an emergency exists requiring immediate action with insufficient time for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, upon certification by the Governor of either or both States, to treat roosts with greater than 500,000 birds with chemicals approved for bird control purposes.
Declares that the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act shall not apply to any such blackbird control activities undertaken by Kentucky or Tennessee on or before April 15, 1976, or by the Federal Government within those States.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee · House · discharged from, referred to
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.
- Feb 4, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-207.
- Jan 28, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jan 27, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate in lieu of S. 2873.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Merchant Marine and Fisheries 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.