An act to authorize appropriations for the Federal Election Commission for fiscal year 1981.
Public Law 96-253 · S. 2648 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on May 29, 1980 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI)
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.
Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to authorize $9,400,000 for the Federal Election Commission for fiscal year 1981. Sets a ceiling of $400,000 on the Commission's clearinghouse activities.
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. 11 actions.
- May 29, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-253.
- May 20, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- May 16, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendments.
- May 12, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 7281.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- May 8, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- May 2, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Rules and Administration 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.