Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1977
Public Law 94-373 · H.R. 14231 · 94th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Jul 31, 1976 · Economics and Public Finance
Sponsor: Rep. Sidney Yates (D-IL-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.
Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act - =Title I: Department of the Interior= - Appropriates specified funds for fiscal year 1977 to the Bureau of Land Management for construction, purchase, and maintenance of buildings, range improvements, and recreational facilities.
Appropriates funds for the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service, for expenses of various authorized programs and activities.
Appropriates funds for the Geological Survey, the Bureau of Mines, and the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration.
Appropriates $602,713,000 to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for operation of Indian education and welfare programs, $15,000,000 to the Indian Loan Guaranty and Insurance Fund, $30,000,000 to the Alaska Native Fund, and $3,000,000 to miscellaneous Indian trust funds.
Appropriates specified sums for the Office of Territorial Affairs, including expenses of the Office of the Governor of American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, including $20,000,000 in emergency grants to Guam.
Appropriates $12,371,000 for salaries and expenses of the Office of the Solicitor, $20,620,000 for salaries and expenses of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, and $12,926,000 for departmental services.
Sets forth provisions governing expenditure and transfer of funds appropriated under this title. Permits the Secretary to utilize appropriated funds for the suppression or emergency prevention of forest and range fires.
=Title II: Related Agencies= - Appropriates specified sums to the Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture for (1) forest protection and utilization, (2) construction and land acquisition, (3) the Youth Conservation Corps, (4) forest roads and trails, (5) acquisition of lands, (6) tree planting, and (7) recreation facilities.
Appropriates funds to the Energy Research and Development Administration, the Federal Energy Administration, and to the President for expenses necessary to carry out the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act.
Appropriates specified sums to enumerated offices under the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, including (1) the Health Services Administration, (2) the Office of Education, (3) the Indian Claims Commission, (4) the Navajo and Hopi Relocation Commission, (5) the Smithsonian Institution, and (6) the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities.
=Title III: General Provisions= - Prohibits use of funds appropriated under this Act for the sale of specified unprocessed timber, for the leasing of oil and natural gas by noncompetitive bidding on public lands within the boundaries of Shawnee National Forest, Illinois, and for the leasing of oil and natural gas on public lands within the boundaries of Flathead National Forest, Montana.
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. 25 actions.
- Jul 31, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-373.
- Jul 22, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Jul 21, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jul 20, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments to certain Senate amendments.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House receded and concurred in certain Senate amendments with amendments.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House receded and concurred in certain Senate amendments.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Jul 1, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 94-1330.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 94-1330.
- Jun 29, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- Jun 26, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #347 (61-4).Senate roll call 347
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Jun 25, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #463 (295-1).House roll call 463
- FloorFloor · Motion to recommit to the Committee on Appropriations with instructions rejected in House, roll call #462 (84-219).House roll call 462
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Appropriations Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee
- Jun 8, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Appropriations 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.