An Act to authorize appropriations for the Indian Claims Commission for fiscal year 1977, and for other purposes.
Public Law 94-465 · S. 2981 · 94th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Oct 8, 1976 · Native Americans
Sponsor: Sen. Scoop Jackson (D-WA)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. John Tower
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.
Authorizes appropriation of $1,650,000 for fiscal year 1977 to carry out the provisions of the Indian Claims Commission Act. Extends the life of the Indian Claims Commission to September 30, 1978.
Authorizes the Indian Claims Commission no later than December 31, 1976, to certify and transfer to the Court of Claims all cases which the Commission determines it cannot completely adjudicate by September 30, 1978.
Directs the Commission on the first day of the 95th Congress to submit a report to the House and Senate Committees on Interior and Insular Affairs and each six months thereafter on the progress made and the work remaining to be done by the Commission.
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. 21 actions.
- Oct 8, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-465.
- Sep 30, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 29, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Sep 28, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 94-1313.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 94-1313.
- Sep 27, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 94-1695.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 94-1695.
- Sep 16, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- Aug 31, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Aug 3, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 11909.
- Apr 12, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 9, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Apr 6, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Feb 17, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
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.