A bill to amend chapter 21 of title 44, United States Code, to include new provisions relating to the acceptance and use of records transferred to the custody of the Administrator of General Services.
Public Law 95-416 · S. 1265 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 5, 1978 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Charles Percy (R-IL)
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.
Shortens from 50 to 30 years the length of time Federal agency records must be in existence before they may be accepted by the Administrator of General Services for transmittal to the National Archives. States that restrictions placed upon such records by the originating agency shall not be imposed unless concurred with by the Administrtor. Authorizes the Administrator to relax or remove such restrictions in the event the originating agency is terminated and there is no successor agency if such relaxation or removal is in the public interest.
Requires that releases by the Administrator of census and survey records of the Bureau of the Census conform to agreements entered into on or about October 10, 1952, between the Director of the Bureau of the Census and the Archivist 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.
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 95-416.
- Sep 27, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Sep 26, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 25, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Aug 21, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Apr 5, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Apr 3, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Mar 21, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Apr 6, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 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.