An Act to repeal certain provisions of law establishing limits on the amount of land certain religious corporations may hold in any Territory of the United States.
Public Law 95-584 · S. 3371 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Nov 2, 1978 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ)
Cosponsors (5): Sen. Howard Cannon, Sen. Frank Church,
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.
Repeals provisions of existing law which: (1) prohibit religious or charitable corporations or associations from holding real estate in any territory of a value greater than $50,000; and (2) authorize religious societies to hold, through trustees, territorial real property for churches, parsonages, and burial grounds.
Stipulates that such repeal is not an endorsement for any development nor a confirmation of title in lands claimed by any religious or charitable corporation or association.
Amends the Act providing the Territory of American Samoa with a non-voting Delegate to the United States House of Representatives to permit any person owing allegiance to the United States, as opposed to citizens only, to be eligible to be a Delegate.
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. 12 actions.
- Nov 2, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-584.
- 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.
- Oct 11, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Oct 5, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 2, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources 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.