Educational Broadcasting Facilities and Telecommunications Demonstration Act of 1976
Public Law 94-309 · H.R. 9630 · 94th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Jun 5, 1976 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Rep. Torbert Macdonald (D-MA-7)
Cosponsors (7): Rep. Louis Frey, Rep. John Murphy,
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.
Educational Broadcasting Facilities and Telecommunications Demonstration Act - States that an additional purpose of the Communications Act of 1934 shall be to demonstrate the use of telecommunications technologies for the dissemination of health, education and other public or social service information.
Authorizes appropriations for the period July 1, 1976, through September 30, 1977, of $37,500,000 to assist in the construction of noncommercial educational broadcasting facilities. Authorizes grants for such purpose to public or private nonprofit colleges and universities or other educational or cultural institutions which are affiliated with eligible colleges or universities (formerly only educational institutions deriving support from tax revenues were eligible).
Provides new criteria for determining whether to approve applications for television grants.
Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to coordinate his functions under such Act with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as well as the Federal Communications Commission.
Expands the definition of "construction" to include apparatus used for transmitting closed circuit radio programs as well as television programs.
Encourages the development of nonbroadcast telecommunications facilities and services for the transmission of health, education, and public or social service information. Authorizes the appropriation of funds, and the making of grants to assist such 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. 14 actions.
- Jun 5, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-309.
- May 27, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- May 26, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- May 25, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment.
- May 13, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 11, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jan 21, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jan 20, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Jan 19, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Sep 17, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce 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.