An act to authorize the Secretary of Defense to provide civilian career employees of the Department of Defense who are residents of Guam, the Virgin Islands, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the same relative rotation rights as apply to other career employees, to authorize the Delegates in Congress from Guam and the Virgin Islands to have two appointments at a time, rather than one appointment, to each of the service academies, and to authorize the establishment of a National Guard in Guam.
Public Law 96-600 · H.R. 7694 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 24, 1980 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Antonio Won Pat (D-GU)
Cosponsors (5): Rep. Melvin Evans, Rep. Richard White,
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.
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to make civilian employees of the Department of Defense, who are residents of Guam, the Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico at the time of their employment, eligible for assignment rotation to duty outside such territories and the United States.
Authorizes the delegates to Congress from the Virgin Islands and Guam to have two appointments each (presently one appointment) for attendance at the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Air Force Academy. Makes such nominations effective for academic years beginning more than one year after the date of enactment of this Act.
Authorizes the establishment of an Army National Guard and Air National Guard in Guam.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · referred to
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.
- Dec 24, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-600.
- Dec 16, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 15, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 13, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendments.
- Dec 12, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Dec 3, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Armed Services Committee
- Aug 27, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Armed Services Committee
- Aug 25, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Aug 18, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Armed Services Committee
- Jun 27, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Armed Services Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service 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.