Civil Rights Commission Act of 1978
Public Law 95-444 · S. 3067 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 10, 1978 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Sponsor: Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN)
Cosponsors (15): Sen. Charles Mathias, Sen. Patrick Leahy,
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.
Civil Rights Commission Act - Authorizes the appropriation of such sums as may be necessary to carry out the Civil Rights Act of 1957 through fiscal year 1983.
Amends such Act with respect to: (1) the compensation of Civil Rights Commission members; (2) the deadline for a report by the Commission to the Congress on violations of civil rights; (3) establishment of advisory committees to the Commission; and (4) vacancies on the Commission.
Amends such Act to require the Commission: (1) to study age and handicap discrimination; (2) to review related Federal law and policies; (3) to serve as a clearinghouse for information regarding such discrimination; (4) to establish a civil rights advisory commission in each State; and (5) to investigate allegations of age or handicap discrimination.
Denies the Commission authority to appraise, or to study and collect information about, laws and policies of the Federal, State, or local governments with respect to abortion.
Committees
The record shows no committee referral for this bill.
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. 17 actions.
- Oct 10, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-444.
- Sep 29, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 28, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Sep 25, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 95-1626.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 95-1626.
- Sep 19, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- Sep 18, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Sep 6, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H. R. 12432.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Jun 27, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 11, 1978IntroducedIntroduced · 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.