An act to authorize supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 1979 for procurement of aircraft, missiles, and naval vessels for research, development, test, and evaluation for the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-29 · S. 429 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jun 27, 1979 · Armed Forces and National Security
Sponsor: Sen. John Stennis (D-MS)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. John Tower
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.
Department of Defense Supplemental Appropriation Authorization Act, 1979 - =Title I: Procurement= - Authorizes additional appropriations in specified amounts for use by the Air Force and Navy in fiscal year 1979 for the procurement of aircraft, missiles, and naval vessels.
Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1979 for the United States' share of the cost of the acquisition by NATO of the Airborne Early Warning and Control System.
Specifies expenses for which the Secretary of Defense may waive reimbursement in carrying out the NATO E-3A Cooperative Programme. Permits the Secretary to assume contingent liability for program losses resulting from the gross negligence of any Federal contracting officer, identifiable taxes, duties' and other charges levied on the program within the United States and unfunded liability resulting from the termination of contracts.
Declares that the authority to enter contracts in connection with the NATO E-3A Cooperative Programme shall be effective for any fiscal year only to the extent such amounts are provided in appropriations Acts.
=Title II: Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation= - Authorizes additional appropriations for use during fiscal year 1979 by the Army, Navy, and Air Force for research, development, test, and evaluation.
Expresses the sense of the Congress that maintaining a survivable land-based intercontinental ballistic missile system is vital to the security of the United States. States that it is the sense of the Congress that the basing mode for the MX missile should be located on the least productive land available.
Requires the Secretary to proceed immediately with the development of the Multiple Protective Structure missile basing mode, without restricting the study of alternate basing modes for land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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. 22 actions.
- Jun 27, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-29.
- Jun 22, 1979PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jun 21, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Jun 18, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 96-223.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in Senate, S. Rept. 96-223.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 96-282.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 96-282.
- Jun 13, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to close certain portions of conference committee meetings passed House, roll call #224 (397-16).House roll call 224
- Jun 6, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- May 31, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 2575.
- May 3, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #81 (77-12).Senate roll call 81
- May 2, 1979FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Apr 6, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Armed Services Committee
- Feb 9, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Armed Services 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.