Higher Education Technical Amendments of 1979
Public Law 96-49 · H.R. 4476 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Aug 13, 1979 · Education
Sponsor: Rep. William Ford (D-MI-15)
Cosponsors (4): Rep. Mario Biaggi, Rep. John Buchanan,
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.
Higher Education Technical Amendments of 1979 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend authorizations of appropriations through fiscal year 1980 for: (1) community services and continuing education programs; (2) college library programs, including research libraries; (3) developing institutions; (4) basic educational opportunity grants; (5) supplemental educational opportunity grants; (6) grants to States for student incentives; (7) special programs for students from disadvantaged backgrounds; (8) Educational Information Centers; (9) veterans' cost-of-instruction payments to institutions of higher education; (10) direct student loans; (11) teacher corps and teacher training programs; (12) acquisition of television and other equipment and minor remodeling for improvement of undergraduate instruction; (13) grants and loans for construction and renovation of undergraduate academic facilities and graduate academic facilities; (14) annual interest grants for such construction and renovation; (15) graduate programs and fellowships; (16) Statewide plans for community colleges, and the establishment and expansion of community colleges; (17) law school clinical programs; and (18) comprehensive statewide planning.
Amends the General Education Provisions Act to extend authorizations of appropriations through fiscal year 1980 for the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education and the National Institute of Education. Authorizes the appropriation to the National Institute of Education of $125,000,000 for fiscal year 1980.
Amends the National Defense Education Act to extend the authorization of appropriations for language development centers and research and studies through fiscal year 1980.
Amends the Middle Income Student Assistance Act to make such Act effective with respect to student enrollment on or after July 1, 1979, (presently August 1, 1979).
Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to: (1) provide that any excess basic educational opportunity grant funds for the academic year 1978-1979 shall remain available for such purpose through September 30, 1981, rather than used for other educational purposes; (2) provide that all eligible lenders shall be considered approved for purposes of Federal interest subsidies unless the Commissioner of Education promulgates required regulations by September 30, 1979; (3) remove limitations on special allowance payments effective October 1, 1979, except with regard to loans held during the third quarter of 1979; (4) authorize the Commissioner to collect defaulted direct student loans; and (5) include vocational schools within the definition of "institution of higher education".
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. 15 actions.
- Aug 13, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-49.
- Aug 3, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Aug 2, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Aug 1, 1979Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Jul 31, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Jul 19, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Appropriations Committee
- Jul 5, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Appropriations Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Education and Workforce Committee
- Jun 14, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Education and Workforce 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.