An act to amend the National Capital Transportation Act of 1969 to authorize additional Federal contributions for the cost of construction of the rapid transit system of the National Capital Region, to provide an orderly method for the retirement of bonds issued by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-184 · H.R. 3951 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jan 3, 1980 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA-9)
Cosponsors (8): Rep. Herbert Harris, Rep. Stewart McKinney,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateRecorded vote: 66 yea, 23 nay66–23
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.
(Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #504 (66-23))
National Capital Transportation Amendments of 1979 - Amends the National Capital Transportation Act of 1979 to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to the Transit Authority to partially finance the cost of construction of the Adopted Regional System.
Stipulates that such grants: (1) be made for work subject to the provisions of the Compact and included in the Adopted Regional System; (2) be matched by the local participating governments in a total amount that is not less than 25 percent of the aggregate amount of Federal grants for each fiscal year; and (3) be subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary deems appropriate for constructing such System in a cost-effective manner.
Authorizes appropriations up to $1,700,000,000 for such grants. Stipulates that no appropriation be enacted for any fiscal year prior to 1982.
Directs the Transit Authority to establish a sinking fund for the payment of principal on bonds issued by the Transit Authority and guaranteed by the Secretary. Authorizes the Secretary to make contributions of two-thirds of the principal and interest paid or to be paid after June 30, 1979, on such bonds with one-third matching contribution from local participating governments.
Permits the Secretary of Transportation, at the request of the Transit Authority, to make accelerated interest payments with respect to payments due prior to July 3, 1983, up to an additional 18 1/3 percent.
Prohibits the Secretary from making any grant for the cost of construction of the Adopted Regional System unless local participating governments have demonstrated that they have a stable and reliable source of revenue sufficient to meet both: (1) their payments to the Transit Authority for the payment of principal and interest on bonds; and (2) their share of the operating and maintenance costs of the Adopted Regional System.
Directs the Transit Authority, in consultation with each local participating government, to submit a program to the Secretary of Transportation showing that such governments have such revenues.
Who voted for it
Every senator of the 96th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 67 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
67 yea23 nay10 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(47)
- Sen. Gaylord NelsonD-WI
- Sen. George McGovernD-SD
- Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
- Sen. Edmund MuskieD-ME
- Sen. Paul TsongasD-MA
- Sen. Harrison WilliamsD-NJ
Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE- Sen. John CulverD-IA
Sen. Robert ByrdD-WV- Sen. Alan CranstonD-CA
- Sen. Paul SarbanesD-MD
- Sen. Spark MatsunagaD-HI
- Sen. Bill BradleyD-NJ
- Sen. Donald RiegleD-MI
- Sen. Quentin BurdickD-ND
- Sen. Scoop JacksonD-WA
- Sen. Abraham RibicoffD-CT
- Sen. Birch BayhD-IN
- Sen. Dee HuddlestonD-KY
- Sen. Jennings RandolphD-WV
Sen. Carl LevinD-MI- Sen. Warren MagnusonD-WA
Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI- Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
Sen. Max BaucusD-MT- Sen. Daniel MoynihanD-NY
- Sen. John DurkinD-NH
- Sen. Lawton ChilesD-FL
Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT- Sen. Frank ChurchD-ID
- Sen. James SasserD-TN
- Sen. John GlennD-OH
- Sen. Wendell FordD-KY
- Sen. John MelcherD-MT
- Sen. Howard CannonD-NV
- Sen. Robert MorganD-NC
- Sen. Mike GravelD-AK
- Sen. James ExonD-NE
- Sen. Dennis DeConciniD-AZ
- Sen. David PryorD-AR
- Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
- Sen. John StennisD-MS
- Sen. Lloyd BentsenD-TX
- Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
- Sen. Dick StoneD-FL
- Sen. David BorenD-OK
- Sen. Harry ByrdD-VA
Republicans who voted yea(20)
- Sen. Jacob JavitsR-NY
- Sen. Charles MathiasR-MD
- Sen. Lowell WeickerR-CT
- Sen. Robert StaffordR-VT
- Sen. John ChafeeR-RI
- Sen. Charles PercyR-IL
- Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
- Sen. David DurenbergerR-MN
- Sen. William CohenR-ME
- Sen. Larry PresslerR-SD
- Sen. Richard SchweikerR-PA
- Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
Sen. John WarnerR-VA
Sen. Ted StevensR-AK- Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
- Sen. Harrison SchmittR-NM
- Sen. Samuel HayakawaR-CA
- Sen. James McClureR-ID
Data notes
The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 503 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
District of Columbia 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. 14 actions.
- Jan 3, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-184.
- Dec 24, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 20, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #504 (66-23).Senate roll call 504
- Dec 11, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Jul 17, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Jul 16, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #337 (261-125).House roll call 337
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- May 15, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House District of Columbia Committee
- May 4, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House District of Columbia 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.