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District of Columbia Appropriation Act, 1977

Public Law 94-446 · H.R. 15193 · 94th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Oct 1, 1976 · Economics and Public Finance

Sponsor: Rep. William Natcher (D-KY-2)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseMethod not stated
  • SenateRecorded vote: 69 yea, 0 nay69–0
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.

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Summary

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

District of Columbia Appropriation Act - =Title I: District of Columbia= - Appropriates funds for fiscal year 1977 for the Federal payment to the District of Columbia as authorized by the District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act. Appropriates additional funds for loans to the District of Columbia pursuant to such Act.

Appropriates designated amounts out of the general fund of the District of Columbia for fiscal year 1976 and the transitional quarter for the following categories of uses: (1) general operating expenses; (2) public safety; (3) education; (4) recreation; (5) human resources; (6) transportation; (7) environmental services; (8) personal services; (9) settlement of claims and suits; (10) repayment of loans and interest; and (11) capital outlay.

Sets limits on the amount of funds appropriated by the Act which may be made available for travel expenses.

Prohibits the use of appropriated funds in connection with the preparation or enforcement of any regulation or order of the Public Service Commission requiring installation of meters in taxicabs, or in connection with the licensing of any vehicle to be operated as a taxicab except for operation in accordance with a system of uniform zones and rates.

Prohibits the use of appropriated funds to pay for electricity for street lighting at a rate exceeding two cents per kilowatt-hour.

Makes funds available for public assistance without reference to provisions in the District of Columbia Code requiring that each person receiving such assistance receive an amount not less than that determined by the District of Columbia Council to be necessary to meet such individual's minimum needs.

Limits the percentage of funds appropriated for personnel compensation which may be used to pay the cost of overtime or temporary positions.

Prohibits the use of funds to compensate any District of Columbia employee: (1) who is appointed as a full-time employee to a permanent position when the total number of such employees exceeds 35, 145; or (2) who is appointed as a temporary or part-time employee during any month in which the number of such employees exceeds the number of such employees for the same month in the preceding year.

=Title II: Department of Transportation= - Stipulates that the funds provided for the Coast Guard's Pollution Fund shall become available immediately upon enactment of this Act.

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 94th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 70 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

70 yea0 nay30 present or did not vote

Dimension 2
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(43)

  • Sen. James AbourezkD-SD
  • Sen. William ProxmireD-WI
  • Sen. Dick ClarkD-IA
  • Sen. Gaylord NelsonD-WI
  • Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE
  • Sen. Floyd HaskellD-CO
  • Sen. Lee MetcalfD-MT
  • Sen. John CulverD-IA
  • Sen. Gary HartD-CO
  • Sen. William HathawayD-ME
  • Sen. John DurkinD-NH
  • Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT
  • Sen. Thomas EagletonD-MO
  • Sen. Edmund MuskieD-ME
  • Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
  • Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
  • Sen. Hubert HumphreyD-MN
  • Sen. Stuart SymingtonD-MO
  • Sen. Adlai StevensonD-IL
  • Sen. Thomas McIntyreD-NH
  • Sen. Dale BumpersD-AR
  • Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
  • Sen. Frank MossD-UT
  • Sen. Dee HuddlestonD-KY
  • Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV
  • Sen. Harrison WilliamsD-NJ
  • Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
  • Sen. Warren MagnusonD-WA
  • Sen. Abraham RibicoffD-CT
  • Sen. John PastoreD-RI
  • Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI
  • Sen. Robert MorganD-NC
  • Sen. Jennings RandolphD-WV
  • Sen. Lawton ChilesD-FL
  • Sen. Dick StoneD-FL
  • Sen. Mike GravelD-AK
  • Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
  • Sen. John SparkmanD-AL
  • Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
  • Sen. Russell LongD-LA
  • Sen. John McClellanD-AR
  • Sen. James EastlandD-MS
  • Sen. James AllenD-AL

Republicans who voted yea(27)

  • Sen. Clifford CaseR-NJ
  • Sen. Edward BrookeR-MA
  • Sen. Richard SchweikerR-PA
  • Sen. Jacob JavitsR-NY
  • Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
  • Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
  • Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
  • Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
  • Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
  • Sen. Hugh ScottR-PA
  • Sen. James PearsonR-KS
  • Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
  • Sen. Hiram FongR-HI
  • Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
  • Sen. Milton YoungR-ND
  • Sen. William RothR-DE
  • Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
  • Sen. Robert GriffinR-MI
  • Sen. Henry BellmonR-OK
  • Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
  • Sen. Dewey BartlettR-OK
  • Sen. Jake GarnR-UT
  • Sen. Paul LaxaltR-NV
  • Sen. William ScottR-VA
  • Sen. Carl CurtisR-NE
  • Sen. James McClureR-ID
  • Sen. Jesse HelmsR-NC
Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1234 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.

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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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Oct 1, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  2. PresidentPresident · Public law 94-446.
  3. Sep 23, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
  4. Sep 22, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
  5. PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
  6. Sep 21, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate amendment.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #623 (69-0).Senate roll call 623
  8. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report, roll call #623 (69-0).Senate roll call 623
  9. Sep 17, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · House receded and concurred in certain Senate amendments with amendment.
  10. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House receded and concurred in certain Senate amendments.
  11. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
  12. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
  13. Sep 10, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 94-1500.
  14. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 94-1500.
  15. Sep 8, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
  16. Aug 30, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
  17. FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #545 (85-0).Senate roll call 545
  18. Aug 26, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Appropriations Committee
  19. Aug 25, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Appropriations Committee
  20. Aug 24, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
  21. FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
  22. Aug 10, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Appropriations Committee
  23. 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.

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Official record

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