Federal Physicians Comparability Allowance Amendments of 1979
Public Law 96-166 · H.R. 5015 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 29, 1979 · Health
Sponsor: Rep. Gladys Spellman (D-MD-5)
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.
Federal Physicians Comparability Allowance Amendments of 1979 - Amends the Federal Physicians Comparability Allowance Act of 1978 to extend by two years: (1) the deadline by which a Federal agency may enter into an agreement providing a bonus allowance for services of a physician; and (2) the termination date of any such agreement.
Includes: (1) any dentist employed by the Government under specified provisions of Federal law and any physician or dentist paid under the Senior Executive Service, the Merit Pay System, or the Panama Canal Commission within the definition of "Government physician"; and (2) the Library of Congress within the definition of "agency" for purposes of such Act.
Prohibits the aggregate amount paid by the Government to any such physician in a fiscal year from exceeding the annual rate payable for positions at level I of the Executive Schedules.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · referred to, reported by
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. 11 actions.
- Dec 29, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-166.
- Dec 24, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 20, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Dec 10, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Dec 4, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jul 30, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service 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.