A bill to establish fees and allow per diem and mileage expenses for witnesses before U.S. courts.
Public Law 95-535 · S. 2049 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 27, 1978 · Law
Sponsor: Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Malcolm Wallop
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.
Amends provisions of Federal law specifying fees and allowances for Federal court witness to, among other changes: (1) increase the per diem fee to $30; (2) replace the set travel allowance with guidelines directing reimbursement for actual expenses of public transportation and granting allowances for private transportation equal to those granted to Federal employees; (3) replace set subsistence allowances with the subsistence allowance granted Federal employees; (4) deny fees and allowances to deportable and certain other aliens; and (5) tax as costs all normal travel expenses.
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 27, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-535.
- Oct 25, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 13, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- Oct 12, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Sep 28, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- May 1, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- Apr 27, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Apr 25, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Aug 5, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary 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.