Psychotropic Substances Act of 1978
Public Law 95-633 · S. 2399 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Nov 10, 1978 · Health
Sponsor: Sen. John Culver (D-IA)
Cosponsors (13): Sen. Birch Bayh, Sen. James Eastland,
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.
(Senate agreed to House amendments with an amendment)
Psychotropic Substances Act - =Title I: Enabling Provisions for the Convention on Psychotropic Substances= - Amends the Controlled Substances Act, the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act to meet obligations under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
=Title II: Criminal Penalties and Piperidine Reporting= - Sets forth penalties for the manufacture, distribution, or possession with intent to manufacture or distribute phencyclidine (PCP) and its salts.
Prohibits the possession of piperidine with intent to manufacutre, or with reasonable cause to believe such piperidine will be used to manufacture phencyclidine.
Establishes criminal penalties for violation of such prohibition.
Requires, with respect to each transfer of piperidine, that the seller report certain information about the buyer to the Attorney General and that the buyer present positive identification. Requires importers to report such shipment of piperidine received.
Requires the Attorney General, after consultation with the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, to analyze and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of this Title, particularly on the illicit manufacture and use of phencyclidine and on legitimate distributions and uses of piperidine, and to report his findings and recommendations to the President and the Congress.
=Title III: Forfeiture of Proceeds of Illegal Drug Transactions= - Provides for the seizure and forfeiture of moneys, negotiable instruments, and securities furnished in exchange for controlled substances.
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.
- Nov 10, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-633.
- Oct 30, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 13, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment.
- Oct 7, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments with an amendment.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment with an amendment.
- Sep 18, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 12008.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Jul 27, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Jun 27, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Jan 20, 1978CommitteeCommittee · 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.