An act to waive the time limitation on the award of certain military decorations to members of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division, for acts of valor performed during the Battle of the Bulge.
Public Law 96-145 · H.R. 3407 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 14, 1979 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Rep. Richard Ottinger (D-NY-24)
Cosponsors (28): Rep. Skip Bafalis, Rep. James Blanchard,
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.
Waives statutory time limitations with respect to awarding certain medals to persons in the Army who served as members of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division, for acts of valor performed by such persons during the Battle of the Bulge in Lanzerath, Belgium. Declares that the awarding of any such medal is within the sole discretion of the President.
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. 13 actions.
- Dec 14, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-145.
- Dec 4, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 3, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Nov 30, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Nov 20, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Armed Services Committee
- Oct 16, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Armed Services Committee
- Oct 15, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Sep 24, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Armed Services Committee
- Apr 3, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
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.