An Act to authorize the Smithsonian Institution to acquire the Museum of African Art, and for other purposes.
Public Law 95-414 · S. 2507 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 5, 1978 · Arts, Culture, Religion
Sponsor: Sen. Wendell Anderson (D-MN)
Cosponsors (31): Sen. Hubert Humphrey, Sen. Edward Brooke,
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.
Authorizes the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to acquire the Museum of African Art.
Establishes a Commission for the Museum of African Art to assist the Board in the operation and development of the Museum.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out the purposes 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.
- Oct 5, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-414.
- Sep 26, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Sep 25, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 22, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Sep 18, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 10792.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Committee on House Administration
- May 19, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
- May 16, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 9, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Rules and Administration Committee
- Feb 7, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Rules and Administration 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.