An Act to authorize the creation of a record of admission for permanent residence in the cases of certain refugees from Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia, and to amend the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975 to extend the period during which refugee assistance may be provided, and for other purposes.
Public Law 95-145 · H.R. 7769 · 95th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 28, 1977 · Immigration
Sponsor: Rep. Hamilton Fish (R-NY-25)
Cosponsors (6): Rep. Joshua Eilberg, Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman,
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: Adjustment of Status of Indochina Refugees= - Authorizes the Attorney General to change the status of any alien refugee from Vietnam, Laos, or Cambodia paroled into the United States after March 31, 1975, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, who has been physically present in the United States for at least two years and is not yet a permanent resident alien to that of permanent resident alien if such refugee qualifies as an admissible immigrant under such Act.
Disqualifies from the provisions of this Act those persons who ordered, assisted, or otherwise participated in the persecution of any person because of race, religion, or political opinion. Admits individuals under this Act without regard to immigration quotas.
=Title II: Extension of the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975= - Authorizes the appropriation of such sums as may be necessary for carrying out the domestic assistance provisions of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, with respect to refugees from Cambodia, Vietnam, or Laos.
Permits funds appropriated under the Act to be used to reimburse State or local public agencies for the non-Federal share of costs for those needy refugees who qualify under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children or Medicaid programs of the Social Security Act.
Establishes September 30, 1981, as the termination date of the Act.
Provides for the following percentages of Federal assistance for refugee cash assistance, medical assistance, social services, and State-local costs: (1) fiscal year 1978, 100 percent; (2) fiscal year 1979, 75 percent of the 1978 cost; (3) fiscal year 1980, 50 percent of such cost; and (4) fiscal year 1981, 25 percent of such cost.
Authorizes the appropriation of $25,000,000 to assist refugees in resettling and in gaining skills and education necessary to become self-reliant.
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.
- Oct 28, 1977Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-145.
- Oct 20, 1977PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 19, 1977PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Oct 18, 1977Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment under suspension of rules.
- Oct 10, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Sep 27, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed House, roll call #595 (390-22).House roll call 595
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Jul 29, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Jun 14, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary 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.