An Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to abolish one of the two positions of Deputy Secretary of Defense and establish the position of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and to change the title of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering to the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
Public Law 95-140 · S. 1372 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 21, 1977 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. John Stennis (D-MS)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Wendell Anderson
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.
Abolishes one of the two present positions of Deputy Secretary of Defense within the Department of Defense.
Establishes an Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Renames the present position of Director of Defense for Research and Engineering as the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Provides that these officials be appointed from civilian life by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Stipulates that no person may be appointed Under Secretary of Defense for Policy who has served as a commissioned officer of an armed force within the last ten years.
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. 14 actions.
- Oct 21, 1977Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-140.
- Oct 12, 1977PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Oct 6, 1977Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Sep 19, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- Jul 21, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Armed Services Committee
- Jun 10, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services Committee
- Jun 9, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- May 27, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Armed Services Committee
- Apr 25, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Armed Services 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.