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A bill to improve judicial machinery by further defining the jurisdiction of U.S. magistrates, and for other purposes.

Public Law 94-577 · S. 1283 · 94th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Oct 21, 1976 · Law

Sponsor: Sen. Quentin Burdick (D-ND)

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.

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Summary

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

Authorizes Federal judges to designate Federal magistrates to: (1) hear and determine any pretrial matter, except specified motions; (2) conduct hearings and submit proposed findings of fact to the judge and recommendations for disposition by the judge of such excepted motions, petitions for a writ of habeas corpus, and specified applications for post-trial relief; and (3) serve as special masters pursuant to title 28, United States Code, and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Permits assignment to magistrates of such additional duties as are not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States.

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. 14 actions.

  1. Oct 21, 1976Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  2. PresidentPresident · Public law 94-577.
  3. Oct 12, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
  4. PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
  5. Oct 8, 1976PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
  6. Oct 1, 1976Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
  7. FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
  8. FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
  9. Sep 17, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
  10. Feb 9, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  11. Feb 5, 1976FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
  12. Feb 3, 1976CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
  13. Mar 21, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  14. 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.

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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.