A bill to repeal section 506 of the Communications Act of 1934.
Public Law 96-507 · H.R. 4892 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 8, 1980 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Rep. John Slack (D-WV-3)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Nick Rahall, Rep. Jerry Patterson
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.
Repeals the prohibition against certain coercive practices affecting broadcasting in the Communications Act of 1934 (the Lea Act). Makes technical and conforming changes in such Act.
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. 14 actions.
- Dec 8, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-507.
- Nov 26, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Nov 25, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Nov 21, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Oct 1, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Sep 30, 1980FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Sep 24, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Jul 20, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce 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.