An act to amend Public Law 90-331 to provide for personal protection of the spouses of major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates during the 120-day period before a general Presidential election.
Public Law 96-329 · H.R. 7786 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Aug 11, 1980 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Peter Rodino (D-NJ-10)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Robert McClory
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.
Extends from 60 to 120 days prior to a Presidential election the period during which the Secretary of the Treasury may authorize the United States Secret Service to protect the spouse of a major Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate. (Current law authorizes protection of spouses of "nominees.")
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. 12 actions.
- Aug 11, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-329.
- PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Aug 10, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Aug 1, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Jul 28, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 22, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary 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.