National Weather Modification Policy Act of 1976
Public Law 94-490 · S. 3383 · 94th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Oct 13, 1976 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Sen. James Pearson (R-KS)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Henry Bellmon
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 292 yea, 91 nay292–91
- SenateRecorded vote: 77 yea, 0 nay77–0
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
National Weather Modification Policy Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a comprehensive study of the state of scientific knowledge concerning weather modification and weather modification technology.
Authorizes the Secretary, in conducting such study, to review and analyze the feasibility and necessity of negotiating an international agreement concerning the peaceful uses of weather modification.
Requires the Secretary to prepare and submit to the President and the Congress, within one year after the enactment of this Act, a final report on the findings and conclusions of such study, including a recommended national policy on weather modification.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 94th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 78 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
78 yea0 nay22 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(47)
- 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. Ted KennedyD-MA- Sen. William HathawayD-ME
- Sen. John DurkinD-NH
Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT- Sen. Birch BayhD-IN
- Sen. Thomas EagletonD-MO
- Sen. Edmund MuskieD-ME
- Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
- Sen. Frank ChurchD-ID
- 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. Claiborne PellD-RI
- 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. Wendell FordD-KY
- Sen. John PastoreD-RI
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI- Sen. Robert MorganD-NC
- Sen. Jennings RandolphD-WV
- Sen. Dick StoneD-FL
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
- Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
- Sen. John SparkmanD-AL
- Sen. Russell LongD-LA
- Sen. Herman TalmadgeD-GA
- Sen. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. John McClellanD-AR
- Sen. James AllenD-AL
Republicans who voted yea(31)
- Sen. Clifford CaseR-NJ
- Sen. Edward BrookeR-MA
- Sen. Richard SchweikerR-PA
- 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 TaftR-OH
- Sen. Howard BakerR-TN
- Sen. Robert GriffinR-MI
- Sen. William BrockR-TN
- Sen. Henry BellmonR-OK
- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Dewey BartlettR-OK
- Sen. Roman HruskaR-NE
- Sen. Jake GarnR-UT
- Sen. Paul LaxaltR-NV
- Sen. William ScottR-VA
- Sen. John TowerR-TX
- Sen. James McClureR-ID
- Sen. Paul FanninR-AZ
- Sen. Jesse HelmsR-NC
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1271 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.
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. 16 actions.
- Oct 13, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-490.
- Oct 1, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 28, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments, roll call #660 (77-0).Senate roll call 660
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendments, roll call #660 (77-0).Senate roll call 660
- Sep 20, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #770 (292-91).House roll call 770
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Jun 1, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
- May 21, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 19, 1976FloorFloor · Senate vitiated its action on passage.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 13, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- May 5, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation 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.