An Act to amend the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act to increase unemployment and sickness benefits, and for other purposes.
Public Law 94-92 · H.R. 8714 · 94th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Aug 9, 1975 · Labor and Employment
Sponsor: Rep. Harley Staggers (D-WV-2)
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.
=Title I: Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act Amendments= - Provides that benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act shall be payable in an amount equal to 60 percent of the daily rate of compensation (but not less than $12.70 per day nor more than $24.00 per day) to any qualified employee for each day of unemployment or sickness in excess of four during any registration period.
Provides for enlargement of the extended benefit period for railroad employees leaving work involuntarily and with less than 10 years of service by up to 65 days otherwise compensable but for the fact that benefits have been exhausted for that benefit year.
Sets forth a method for determining the beginning date of an extended benefit period.
Increases the rate of employers' contributions to the railroad unemployment insurance account when the amount in such account drops below $300,000,000 on September 30 of any year.
Decreases the qualifying period for first-year employees for railroad unemployment benefits from 7 to 5 months of railroad employment during such year.
=Title II: Amendments to the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 and the Railroad Retirement Tax Act= - Authorizes to be appropriated from time to time such sums as may be necessary to provide for the expenses of the Board in administering the provisions of this Act.
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. 13 actions.
- Aug 9, 1975Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-92.
- Aug 1, 1975PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Jul 31, 1975PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jul 30, 1975Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Jul 29, 1975FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Jul 24, 1975FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #427 (420-0).House roll call 427
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Jul 22, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Jul 17, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce 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.