An original bill to authorize appropriations for the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-121 · S. 1160 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Nov 16, 1979 · Economics and Public Finance
Sponsor: Sen. Howard Cannon (D-NV)
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.
(Senate agreed to House amendment with an amendment)
Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1980 for: (1) activities under the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974; and (2) the Fire Research Center.
Amends such Act to revise the rate of pay for qualified experts providing specified temporary or intermittent services.
Directs the Administrator of the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration to study and report to Congress and the President on smoke detectors, heat detectors, and sprinkling suppression systems, including recommendations on the Federal role in creating incentives for the use of such devices or systems.
Directs the Administrator to conduct a review of firefighters safety and to submit such review, with recommendations to Congress. Requires that such review include analyses of the current situation and the effectiveness of equipment, as well as a plan for the transfer of more effective technologies to firefighting units.
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 16, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-121.
- Nov 9, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Nov 8, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment.
- Oct 31, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment with an amendment.
- Jun 4, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 4016.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- May 23, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- May 16, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- May 15, 1979IntroducedIntroduced · 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.