Examples of Major Laws

The majority of information for this chart was obtained from CRS Report No. 82-156 GOV, Major Acts of Congress and Treaties Approved by the Senate, 1789-1980, Sept. 1982.

Congresses

1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th	18th	19th	20th
21st	22nd	23rd	24th	25th	26th	27th	28th	29th	30th
31st	32nd	33rd	34th	35th	36th	37th	38th	39th	40th
41st	42nd	43rd	44th	45th	46th	47th	48th	49th	50th
51st	52nd	53rd	54th	55th	56th	57th	58th	59th	60th
61st	62nd	63rd	64th	65th	66th	67th	68th	69th	70th
71st	72nd	73rd	74th	75th	76th	77th	78th	79th	80th
81st	82nd	83rd	84th	85th	86th	87th	88th	89th	90th
91st	92nd	93rd	94th	95th	96th	97th	98th	99th	100th
101st	102nd	103rd	104th	105th	106th	107th	108th	109th	110th	111th

1ST CONGRESS (MAR 4, 1789 - MAR 3, 1791): ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
1st	1 Stat. 24-27	Tariff Act of 1789	Jul 4, 1789	Establish procedures to raise money to pay Government wages and obligations and to fund Federal debt
1st	1 Stat. 28-29	Department of Foreign Affairs	Jul 27, 1789	Establish Department of Foreign Affairs
1st	1 Stat. 49-50	Department of War	August 7, 1789	Establish Department of War
1st	1 Stat. 65-67	Department of Treasury	Sep 2, 1789	Establish Treasury Department
1st	1 Stat. 68-69	Department of State	Sep 15, 1789	Change name of Department of Foreign Affairs to Department of State
1st	1 Stat. 70	Office of Postmaster General	Sep 22, 1789	Provide for the temporary appointment of a Postmaster General
1st	1 Stat. 73-93	Judiciary Act of 1789	Sep 24, 1789	Establish the Federal Courts system
1st	1 Stat. 101-103	First Census	Mar 1, 1790	Provide for apportionment of Representatives and establish decennial census
1st	1 Stat. 103-104	Uniform Rule of Naturalization	Mar 26, 1790	Establish a uniform rule for naturalization of free white persons
1st	1 Stat. 109-112	First Patent Law	Apr 10, 1790	Establish a 3-man board with power to grant patents
1st	1 Stat. 124-126	First Copyright Law	May 31, 1790	Provide copyright protection for plays, maps, and books
1st	1 Stat. 130	Permanent Seat of Government	Jul 16, 1790	Provide for establishment of the Capital
1st	1 Stat. 138-144	Funding and Assumption Act of 1790	Aug 4, 1790	Provide for Federal government assumption of debts incurred by the States as a result of their participation in the Revolutionary War
1st	1 Stat. 191-196	First Bank of the U.S.	Feb 25, 1791	Incorporate the Bank of the U.S.
1st	1 Stat. 199-214	First Internal Revenue Law	Mar 3, 1791	Create revenue districts and imposed a tax on distilled liquors
2ND CONGRESS (OCT 24, 1791 - MAR 2, 1793): ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
2nd	1 Stat. 239-241	Presidential Succession Act	Mar 1, 1792	Provide for succession in case the President and Vice President are both removed, resign, or die
2nd	1 Stat. 246-251	First Mint	Apr 2, 1792	Authorize establishment of the first U.S. Mint
2nd	1 Stat. 271-274	Militia Act	May 8, 1792	Require "each and every free able-bodied white male citizen of the Republic between the ages of 18 and 45 to serve in a State militia".
2nd	1 Stat. 302-305	Fugitive Slave Act of 1793	Feb 12, 1793	Empower owners of fugitive slaves, or their agents, to seize fugitive slaves and return them to servitude
3RD CONGRESS (DEC 2, 1793 - MAR 3, 1795): ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
3rd	1 Stat. 350-351	Formation of U.S. Navy	Mar 27, 1794	Authorize the construction and manning of frigates and establish procedures for pay of Navy personnel
3rd	1 Stat 381-384	Neutrality Act	Jun 5, 1794	Prohibit U.S. citizens from enlisting in the services of any foreign power and prohibit the fitting out of foreign vessels in U.S. ports
3rd	1 Stat. 414-415	Naturalization Act	Jan 29, 1795	Establish procedures for resident aliens to become U.S. citizens
4TH CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1795 - MAR 3, 1797): ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
4th	1 Stat. 464-469	Land Act of 1796	May 18, 1796	Provide for surveys of public lands within the Northwest Territory and establish procedures for auction of public lands
4th	1 Stat. 469-474	An Act to Regulate Trade and Intercourse with the Indian Tribes	May 19, 1796	Establish a boundary line between the U.S. and various Indian tribes, beyond which only Indians had the right to hunt, trap, and fish
4th	Stat. 477-478	An Act for the Relief and Protection of American Seamen	May 28, 1796	Authorize investigation of impressment and detention of U.S. seamen into the naval service of foreign governments
5TH CONGRESS (MAY 15, 1797 - MAR 3, 1799): ADMINISTRATION OF JOHN ADAMS
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
5th	1 Stat. 552	Naval Armament for the Protection of American Commerce	Apr 27, 1798	Authorize the acquisition of naval vessels
5th	1 Stat. 553-554	Department of the Navy	Apr 30, 1798	Establish the Department of Navy
5th	1 Stat. 566-569	Naturalization Act (First of the Alien and Sedition Acts)	Jun 18, 1798	Revise procedures for resident aliens to become U.S. citizens
5th	1 Stat. 570-572	Alien Act (Second of the Alien and Sedition Acts)	Jun 25, 1798	Provide the President with authority to deport aliens adjudged to be undesirable and require the licensing of certain other aliens
5th	1 Stat. 577-578	Alien Enemies Act (Third of the Alien and Sedition Acts)	Jul 6, 1798	Authorize the President to apprehend, detain, and deport resident aliens who are subjects of a foreign power at war with the U.S.
5th	1 Stat. 594-596	Marine Corps Act	Jul 11, 1798	Organize the Marine Corps into a distinct Service of the U.S. Government
5th	1 Stat. 596-597	Sedition Act (Fourth of the Alien and Sedition Acts)	Jul 14, 1798	Provide for the arrest and imprisonment of any person who attempts to impede lawful processes of government, foment insurrection or write, publish or utter false or malicious statements about the President, Vice President, Congress or Government of the U.S.
6TH CONGRESS (DEC 2, 1799 - MAR 3, 1801): ADMINISTRATION OF JOHN ADAMS
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
6th	2 Stat. 19-36	First Federal Bankruptcy Law	Apr 4, 1800	Establish a uniform system of bankruptcy
6th	2 Stat. 55-56	Removal of Government to Washington	Apr 24, 1800	Provide for the removal of the U.S. Government to Washington, D.C.
6th	2 Stat. 58-60	Indiana and Ohio Territories	May 7, 1800	Divide the Northwest Territory into the Indiana and Ohio Territories
6th	2 Stat. 89-100	Judiciary Act of 1801	Feb 13, 1801	Revise the Federal Court System
7TH CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1801 - MAR 3, 1803): ADMINISTRATION OF THOMAS JEFFERSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
7th	2 Stat. 137	U.S. Military Academy	Mar 16, 1802	Authorize the establishment of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
7th	2 Stat. 156-167	Repeal of the Judiciary Act of 1801	Apr 29, 1802	Revise the Federal Court System
7th	2 Stat. 173-175	First Enabling Act	Apr 30, 1802	Establish procedures for the Ohio Territory to become a State
8TH CONGRESS (OCT 17, 1803 - MAR 3, 1805): ADMINISTRATION OF THOMAS JEFFERSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
8th	2 Stat. 274	Second National Bank Act	Mar 23, 1804	Authorize U.S. Bank officials to establish offices in any part of the territories or dependencies of the U.S.
9TH CONGRESS (DEC 2, 1805 - MAR 3, 1807): ADMINISTRATION OF THOMAS JEFFERSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
9th	2 Stat. 357-359	Cumberland Road Act	Mar 29, 1806	Authorize the construction of a national road between Cumberland, Md., and Wheeling, W.Va.
9th	2 Stat. 379-381	Non-Importation Act	Apr 18, 1806	Prohibit the importation of certain British goods
9th	2 Stat. 421	Judiciary Act of 1807	Feb 24, 1807	Increase the number of Supreme Court Justices from six to seven
9th	2 Stat. 426-430	Slave Trade Prohibition Act	Mar 2, 1807	Prohibit the importation of slaves into U.S. after Jan 1, 1808.
10TH CONGRESS (OCT 26, 1807 - MAR 3, 1809): ADMINISTRATION OF THOMAS JEFFERSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
10th	2 Stat. 451-453	Embargo Act of 1807	Dec 22, 1807	Embargo all ships and vessels in U.S. ports and harbors to prevent them from engaging in commercial activities with foreign countries
10th	2 Stat. 528-533	Non-Intercourse Act	Mar 1, 1809	Repeal the Embargo Act of 1807 and reopen trade with all nations except Great Britain and France
11TH CONGRESS (MAY 22, 1809 - MAR 3, 1811): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES MADISON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
11th	2 Stat. 605-606	Macon's Bill Number 2	May 1, 1810	Authorize the restoration of trade with Britain and France on the condition that they recognize American neutrality
11th	3 Stat. 471-472	Extension of U.S. Rule Over West Florida	Jan 15, 1811	Authorize the President to occupy certain territories in West Florida
12TH CONGRESS (NOV 4, 1811 - MAR 3, 1813): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES MADISON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
12th	2 Stat. 755	Declaration of War Against Great Britain and Ireland	Jun 18, 1812	Declare war against Great Britain and Ireland and authorize the President to use land and naval forces to carry out the war
12th	2 Stat. 708-709	Act to Enlarge the Limits of the State of Louisiana	Apr 14, 1812	Annex certain West Florida lands to Louisiana
12th	2 Stat. 734	Act to Enlarge the Boundaries of the Mississippi Territory	May 14, 1812	Annex certain West Florida lands to Mississippi
13TH CONGRESS (MAY 24, 1813 - MAR 3, 1815): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES MADISON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
13th	3 Stat. 195	Purchase of the Library of Thomas Jefferson	Jan 30, 1815	Authorize the purchase of the library of Thomas Jefferson for use by Congress
13th	3 Stat. 217-218	Reduction of Naval Establishment	Feb 27, 1815	Provide for the sale of certain naval vessels
13th	3 Stat. 224-225	Fixing the Peacetime Military Establishment	Mar 3, 1815	Establish a peacetime standing army
13th	3 Stat. 230	Declaration of War Against Algiers	Mar 3, 1815	Declare war against Algiers in response to actions against U.S. ships and demands for payment of tribute
14TH CONGRESS (DEC 4, 1815 - MAR 3, 1817): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES MADISON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
14th	3 Stat. 266-277	Second National Bank of the U.S.	Apr 10, 1816	Establish and capitalize the Second National Bank of the U.S.
14th	3 Stat. 310-314	First Protective Tariff	Apr 27, 1816	Establish heavy duties on certain foreign imports
15TH CONGRESS (DEC 1, 1817 - MAR 3, 1819): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES MONROE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
15th	3 Stat. 415	Flag of the U.S.	Apr 4, 1818	Establish the Stars and Stripes as the permanent design of the U.S. flag
15th	3 Stat. 488-489	First Immigration Law	Mar 2, 1819	Establish rules and procedures for passenger ships bringing immigrants to the U.S., including establishment of a numerical registry of immigration
16TH CONGRESS (DEC 6, 1819 - MAR 3, 1821): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES MONROE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
16th	3 Stat. 544	Missouri Compromise	Mar 3, 1819	Authorize the admission of Maine to the Union as a free State
16th	3 Stat. 545-548	Missouri Compromise	Mar 6, 1820	Permit the people of the proposed State of Missouri to draw up a constitution under which they decide whether or not to permit slavery, and prohibit slavery in the Louisiana Purchase north of the line 36 30' except in Missouri
17TH CONGRESS (DEC 3, 1821 - MAR 3, 1823): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES MONROE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
17th	3 Stat. 678	Latin American Republics Act	May 4, 1822	Appropriate funds to establish diplomatic missions in the newly independent countries of Columbia, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru
18TH CONGRESS (DEC 1, 1823 - MAR 3, 1825): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES MONROE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
18th	4 Stat. 22-23	General Survey Act	Apr 30, 1824	Empower the President to initiate surveys and estimates regarding the costs of building roads and canals for military, commercial, or postal purposes
18th	4 Stat. 25-30	Tariff Act of 1824	May 22, 1824	Increase tariff rates on certain items, including cotton goods, raw wool, and iron
19TH CONGRESS (DEC 5, 1825 - MAR 3, 1827): ADMINISTRATION OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
19th	4 Stat. 158	Mission at the Panama Conference	May 4, 1826	Appropriate funds to send envoys and ministers to the Panama Conference of 1826
20TH CONGRESS (DEC 3, 1827 - MAR 3, 1829): ADMINISTRATION OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
20th	4 Stat. 270-275	Tariff of Abominations	May 19, 1828	Raise duties on imported goods to a general rate of 41%
21ST CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1829 - MAR 3, 1831): ADMINISTRATION OF ANDREW JACKSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
21st	4 Stat. 411-412	Indian Removal Act	May 28, 1830	Provide for the general resettlement of Indians to lands west of the Mississippi
21st	4 Stat. 419-420	Renewing of Commercial Intercourse Between the U.S. and Certain Colonies of Great Britain	May 29, 1830	Authorize the President to open the ports of the U.S. as soon as British colonial were opened to the U.S. vessels without discrimination
22ND CONGRESS (DEC 5, 1831 - MAR 2, 1833): ADMINISTRATION OF ANDREW JACKSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
22nd	4 Stat. 583-594	Tariff Act of 1832	Jul 14, 1832	Lower duties on many imported goods
22nd	4 Stat. 629-631	"Compromise Tariff" Bill	Mar 2, 1833	Add many imported items to the tariff-free list and provide for gradual reduction of many other duties
22nd	4 Stat. 632-635	Force Bill	Mar 2, 1833	Authorize the President to use the army and navy as necessary to execute revenue laws and collect custom duties
23RD CONGRESS (DEC 2, 1833 - MAR 3, 1835): ADMINISTRATION OF ANDREW JACKSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
23rd	4 Stat. 735-738	Department of Indian Affairs	Jun 30, 1834	Provide for the organization of Department of Indian Affairs within Department of War
24TH CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1835 - MAR 3, 1837): ADMINISTRATION OF ANDREW JACKSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
24th	5 Stat. 52-56	Deposit Act	Jun 23, 1836	Require Department of Treasury to designate at least one bank in each State and territory as a place of public deposit of U.S. funds, and provide for the distribution of surplus revenue among the States
24th	5 Stat. 176-178	Enlargement of the Supreme Court	Mar 3, 1837	Increase the number of the Supreme Court Justices from seven to nine
25TH CONGRESS (SEP 4, 1837 - MAR 3, 1839): ADMINISTRATION OF MARTIN VAN BUREN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
25th	5 Stat. 201-204	Treasury Note Issue of 1837	Oct 12, 1837	Authorize the issues of $10 million dollars in Treasury notes to relive national financial crisis
26TH CONGRESS (DEC 2, 1839 - MAR 3, 1841): ADMINISTRATION OF MARTIN VAN BUREN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
26th	5 Stat. 385-392	Independent Treasury Act of 1840	Jul 4, 1840	Establish Federal depositories independent of State banks and private business, and establish sub-treasuries at New York, Boston, Philadelphia, St. Louis, New Orleans, Washington and Charleston
27TH CONGRESS (MAY 31, 1841 - MAR 3, 1843): ADMINISTRATION OF JOHN TYLER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
27th	5 Stat. 439-440	Repeal of the Independent Treasury Act of 1840	Aug 13, 1841	Order the removal of all Government funds from the depositories established under the Independent Treasury Act of 1840
27th	5 Stat. 548-567	Tariff Act of 1842	Aug 30, 1842	Increase tariff rates and end the distribution of revenues to the States
28TH CONGRESS (DEC 4, 1843 - MAR 3, 1845): ADMINISTRATION OF JOHN TYLER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
28th	5 Stat. 721	Establishment of Uniform Election Day for Presidential Electors	Jan 23, 1845	Designate the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day for Presidential electors
28th	5 Stat. 797-798	Texas Annexation Resolution	Mar 1, 1845	Declare the consent of Congress to the establishment of Texas as a State and its admission to the Union
29TH CONGRESS (DEC 1, 1845 - MAR 3, 1847): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES K. POLK
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
29th	9 Stat. 9-10	Declaration of War with Mexico	May 13, 1846	Declare that the war was begun by Mexico, appropriate funds to conclude war, and empower the President to use the army and navy
29th	9 Stat. 42-49	Walker Tariff Act	Jul 30, 1846	Reduce tariff rates
29th	9 Stat. 59-66	Independent Treasury Act of 1846	Aug 6, 1846	Establish sub-treasuries for the deposit of Government money and stipulate that all payments made to and by the Government must be in gold, silver or Treasury notes
29th	9 Stat. 201	Postage Stamp Act	Mar 3, 1847	Authorize use of adhesive postage stamps
30TH CONGRESS (DEC 6, 1847 - MAR 3, 1849): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES K. POLK
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
30th	9 Stat. 323-331	Oregon Bill	Aug 14, 1848	Establish a territorial government for Oregon that prohibits slavery
30th	9 Stat. 395-397	Department of the Interior	Mar 3, 1849	Establish the Department of Interior with responsibilities for the census, Indians, public lands, and patents
31ST CONGRESS (DEC 3, 1849 - MAR 3, 1851): ADMINISTRATIONS OF ZACHARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
31st	9 Stat. 446-452	Texas and New Mexico Act	Sep 9, 1850	Establish Texas boundaries, authorize compensation to Texas for relinquishing claims to New Mexico, and provide that New Mexico be admitted to the Union with or without slavery, as determined by its constitution
31st	9 Stat. 452-453	Admission of California as a Free State	Sep 9, 1850	Provide for the admission of California to the Union as a free State
31st	9 Stat. 453-458	Utah Act	Sep 9, 1850	Provide that Utah be admitted to the Union with or without slavery, as determined by its constitution
31st	9 Stat. 462-465	Fugitive Slave Act	Sep 18, 1850	Remove fugitive slave cases from Federal jurisdiction, provide for the appointment of Federal commissioners to conduct hearings ands issue warrants of arrest and certificates of return, impose a fine and imprisonment on any person aiding or harboring a fugitive slave, and deny fugitive slaves the right of jury trial or the right to testify on their own behalf
31st	9 Stat. 467-468	District of Columbia Slave-Trade Act	Sep 20, 1850	Abolish the slave trade in D.C.
32ND CONGRESS (DEC 1, 1851 - MAR 3, 1853): ADMINISTRATION OF MILLARD FILLMORE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
32nd	10 Stat. 3	To Make Military Bounty Land Warrants Assignable	Mar 22, 1852	Provide that land warrants issued to veterans in return for military service may be sold or traded
33RD CONGRESS (DEC 5, 1853 - MAR 3, 1855): ADMINISTRATION OF FRANKLIN PIERCE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
33rd	10 Stat. 277-290	Kansas-Nebraska Act	May 30, 1854	Repeal the Missouri Compromise to allow citizens in the newly created territories of Kansas and Nebraska determine whether or not slavery would be legal
33rd	10 Stat. 604	Citizenship Act of 1855	Feb 10, 1855	Grant right of citizenship to children of citizens born outside of the U.S.
34TH CONGRESS (DEC 3, 1855 - MAR 3, 1857): ADMINISTRATION OF FRANKLIN PIERCE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
34th	11 Stat. 192-195	Tariff of 1857	Mar 3, 1857	Reduce the tariffs on many imported goods
35TH CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1857 - MAR 3, 1859): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES BUCHANAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
35th	11 Stat. 269-272	English Bill	May 4, 1858	Offer to admit Kansas into the Union and provide the State with a public lands grant, provided that the State adopt the Lecompton constitution which supported slavery and the rights of slave owners
36TH CONGRESS (DEC 5, 1859 - MAR 3, 1861): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES BUCHANAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
36th	12 Stat. 178-198	Morrill Tariff Act of 1861	Mar 2, 1861	Increase duties on certain classes of imports
37TH CONGRESS (JUL 4, 1861 - MAR 3, 1863): ADMINISTRATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
37th	12 Stat. 292-313	First Federal Income Tax	Aug 5, 1861	Impose duties on certain imports, institute a direct tax on real estate, and establish a tax on income
37th	12 Stat. 319	First Slave Confiscation Act	Aug 6, 1861	Provide for the emancipation of slaves employed in arms or labor against the U.S. Government
37th	12 Stat. 345-348	Legal Tender Act	Feb 25, 1852	Authorize the issuance of $150 million in paper currency
37th	12 Stat. 387-388	Department of Agriculture	May 15, 1862	Establish the Department of Agriculture
37th	12 Stat. 392-394	Homestead Act	May 20, 1862	Provide up to 160 acres of public lands at $1.25 an acre to any citizen or head of a family who occupied and improved the land for five continuous years
37th	12 Stat. 489-498	Pacific Railroad Act	Jul 1, 1862	Provide for the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad to undertake efforts to complete the first U.S. transcontinental railroad
37th	12 Stat. 501-502	First Antipolygamy Act	Jul 1, 1862	Prohibit the practice of polygamy in the States and Territories, and annul certain acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah
37th	12 Stat. 503-505	Morrill Land-Grant College Act	Jul 2, 1862	Grant to States not in rebellion against the U.S. Government public lands or land scrip to be sold for the purpose of endowing agricultural and mechanical arts colleges
37th	12 Stat. 543-561	Tariff Act of 1862	Jul 14, 1862	Raise tariff rates
37th	12 Stat. 589-592	Second Slave Confiscation Act	Jul 17, 1862	Emancipated slaves of persons engaged in the rebellion against the U.S. Government
37th	12 Stat. 665-682	National Bank Act	Feb 25, 1863	Establish a national banking system
37th	12 Stat. 731-737	Conscription Act	Mar 3, 1863	Establish a national system to draft men between the ages of 20-45 for military service
37th	12 Stat. 755-758	Habeas Corpus Act	Mar 3, 1863	Endorse actions of President Lincoln authorizing the suspension of habeas corpus rights during the war
37th	12 Stat. 806-807	National Academy of Sciences	Mar 3, 1863	Establish the National Academy of Sciences
38TH CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1863 - MAR 3, 1865): ADMINISTRATION OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
38th	13 Stat. 202-218	Morrill Tariff Amendments of 1864	Jun 30, 1864	Increase tariff rates
38th	13 Stat. 365-372	Northern Pacific Railroad Act	Jul 2, 1864	Authorize the Northern Pacific Railroad to build a railroad and telegraph line from Lake Superior to Portland, Oregon
38th	13 Stat. 385-387	Immigration Act	Jul 4, 1864	Provide for the appointment of the Commissioner of Immigration and the establishment of a U.S. Emigrant Office in New York
39TH CONGRESS (DEC 4, 1865 - MAR 3, 1867): ADMINISTRATION OF ANDREW JOHNSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
39th	14 Stat. 27-30	Civil Rights Act	Apr 9, 1866	Grant citizenship to all persons born in the U.S., and provide all citizens, with the exception of Indians, with the same civil rights
39th	14 Stat. 428-430	First Reconstruction Act	Mar 2, 1867	Divide the States of the former Confederacy, except for Tennessee, into military districts, and establish procedures for their readmittance to the Union
39th	14 Stat. 430-432	Tenure of Office Act of 1867	Mar 2, 1867	Prohibit the President from removing civil officials appointed with the advice of the Senate without first obtaining Senatorial approval
40TH CONGRESS (MAR 4, 1867 - MAR 3, 1869): ADMINISTRATION OF ULYSSES GRANT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
40th	15 Stat. 2-5	Second Reconstruction Act	Mar 23, 1867	Require military commanders in charge of the five military districts in the South to establish procedures for voter registration and elections
40th	15 Stat. 539-544	Alaska Purchase Treaty	Apr 9, 1867	Provide for the purchase of Alaska from Russia
40th	15 Stat. 14-16	Third Reconstruction Act	Jul 19, 1867	Provide the commander of the five Southern military districts with authority to suspend or remove from office any civil or military official in the district, and to resolve voter eligibility issues
40th	15 Stat. 41	Fourth Reconstruction Act	Mar 11, 1868	Revise regulations for former Confederate State adoption of new constitutions
40th	15 Stat. 72-74	Omnibus Act	Jun 22-25, 1868	Provide for the readmission to the Union of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina
41ST CONGRESS (MAR 4, 1869 - MAR 3, 1871): ADMINISTRATION OF ULYSSES GRANT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
41st	16 Stat. 1	Public Credit Act	Mar 18, 1969	Provide for the payment of Government obligations in gold
41st	16 Stat. 140-146	First Force Act (First Ku Klux Klan Act)	May 31, 1870	Establish penalties for and Federal jurisdiction over right to vote infringement
41st	16 Stat. 162-165	Department of Justice	Jun 22, 1870	Establish the Department of Justice
41st	16 Stat. 256-272	Tariff Act of 1870	Jul 14, 1870	Eliminate or reduce tariff rates on certain imports, and reduce the internal revenue tax
41st	16 Stat. 433-440	Second Force Act (Second Ku Klux Klan Act)	Feb 28, 1871	Place control of national elections under Federal control, authorize Federal judges to appoint election supervisors, and authorize U.S. Marshalls to preserve order at polling places
41st	16 Stat. 514-515	Civil Service Commission	Mar 3, 1871	Authorize the President to prescribe regulations to promote the efficiency of the civil service, and to employ suitable persons to conduct interviews and establish regulations for individuals who receive civil service appointments
42ND CONGRESS (MAR 4, 1871 - MAR 3, 1873): ADMINISTRATION OF ULYSSES GRANT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
42nd	17 Stat. 13-15	Third Force Act (Third Ku Klux Klan Act)	Apr 20, 1871	Direct the Federal courts to punish specific acts of terrorism, bar members of Klan-type societies from serving on juries in these cases, and authorize the President to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in areas deemed to be in a condition of anarchy and insurrection
42nd	17 Stat. 32-33	Yellowstone National Park (First National Park)	Mar 1, 1872	Designate a tract of land near the Yellowstone River as a public park
42nd	17 Stat. 91-96	General Mining Act of 1872	May 10, 1872	Provide that mineral deposits on public lands be open to exploration and purchase by U.S. citizens
42nd	17 Stat. 230-258	Tariff Act of 1872	Jun 6, 1872	Reduce tariff rates and reduce the duties on salt and coal
42nd	17 Stat. 424-436	Coinage Act of 1873	Feb 12, 1873	Discontinue coinage of silver dollars except for international trade, and make gold the sole monetary standard for the U.S.
42nd	17 Stat. 485-509	Salary Grab Act	Mar 3, 1873	Double the President’s salary and increase the salaries of the Vice President, Cabinet members, Supreme Court Justices, and members of Congress
43RD CONGRESS (DEC 1, 1873 - MAR 3, 1875): ADMINISTRATION OF ULYSSES GRANT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
43rd	18 Stat 4	Salary Grab Act Repeal	Jan 20, 1874	Repeal the salary increases in Salary Grab Act, with the exception of the salary of the President and Supreme Court Judges
43rd	18 Stat. 116-121	Reorganization of D.C. Government	Jun 20, 1874	Replace D.C. home rule with a government of commissioners appointed by the President
43rd	18 Stat. 296	Specie Resumption Act	Jan 14, 1875	Reduce the value of greenbacks in circulation and allow the resumption of specie payment
43rd	18 Stat. 335-337	Civil Rights Act of 1875	Mar 1, 1875	Guarantee equal rights to all citizens in public accommodations and conveyances, and prohibit the exclusion of African Americans from jury duty
43rd	18 Stat. 469-470	Tariff Act of 1875	Mar 3, 1875	Increase tariff rates and duties
44TH CONGRESS (DEC 6, 1875 - MAR 3, 1877): ADMINISTRATION OF ULYSSES GRANT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
44th	19 Stat. 227-229	Electoral Commission	Jan 29, 1877	Establish a commission to review dispute involving electoral votes in the 1876 Presidential election
45TH CONGRESS (OCT 15, 1877 - MAR 3, 1879): ADMINISTRATION OF RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
45th	20 Stat. 25-26	Bland-Allison Act	Feb 28, 1878	Provide for the Department of Treasury to purchase silver to be coined into silver dollars, make silver legal tender, authorize the issuance of paper money backed by coin deposits, and direct the President to call an international monetary conference to set a ratio between gold and silver
46TH CONGRESS (MAR 18, 1879 - MAR 3, 1881): ADMINISTRATION OF RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
46th	20 Stat. 152	Army Appropriation Bill of 1878	Jun 18, 1878	Prohibit the use of the U.S. Army as a posse comitatus to execute laws, except in cases expressly authorized by the Constitution or an act of Congress
46th	20 Stat. 394-395	Geological Survey	Mar 3, 1879	Establish the Geological Survey as a bureau within the Department of Interior
47TH CONGRESS (DEC 5, 1881 - MAR 3, 1883): ADMINISTRATIONS OF JAMES A. GARFIELD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
47th	22 Stat. 30-32	Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act	Mar 22, 1882	Impose penalties on the practice of polygamy and disqualify those who practice it from voting, holding office, or serving on juries in polygamy cases; and place Utah elections under Federal supervision
47th	22 Stat. 58-61	Chinese Exclusion Act	May 6, 1882	Suspend the immigration of Chinese laborers for ten years and deny citizenship to all foreign-born Chinese
47th	22 Stat. 64	Tariff Commission	May 15, 1882	Establish a commission to suggest reforms to deal with the accumulating surplus in the Department of Treasury
47th	22 Stat. 214-215	Immigration Act of 1882	Aug 3, 1882	Prohibit paupers, criminals, convicts, and the insane from entering the U.S., and establish a 50-cent head tax on each immigrant
47th	22 Stat. 403-407	Pendleton Act	Jan 16, 1883	Establish a bipartisan Civil Service Commission and provide that no Federal employees is under any obligation to contribute to a political fund
47th	22 Stat. 488-526	Mongrel Tariff	Mar 3, 1883	Revise tariff rates for certain imports
48TH CONGRESS (DEC 3, 1883 - MAR 3, 1885): ADMINISTRATION OF CHESTER A. ARTHUR
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
48th	23 Stat. 60-61	Bureau of Labor	Jun 27, 1884	Establish a Bureau of Labor within the Department of Interior
48th	23 Stat. 115-118	Second Chinese Exclusion Act	Jul 5, 1884	Impose stringent penalties on the master of any vessel attempting to land Chinese laborers
48th	23 Stat. 332-333	Contract Labor Act	Feb 26, 1885	Prohibit immigration of contract laborers into the U.S. except for use as domestic servants or skilled labor not otherwise obtainable for new industries
49TH CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1885 - MAR 3, 1887): ADMINISTRATION OF GROVER CLEVELAND
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
49th	24 Stat. 1-2	Presidential Succession	Jan 19, 1886	Establish procedures for Presidential succession in case of removal, death, resignation or inability of the both the President and Vice President to serve
49th	24 Stat. 373-375	Electoral Count Act	Feb 3, 1887	Revise procedures for electoral vote in Presidential elections
49th	24 Stat. 379-387	Interstate Commerce Act	Feb 4, 1887	Establish a presidentially appointed five-man Interstate Commerce Commission
49th	24 Stat. 388-391	Dawes Severalty Act	Feb 8, 1887	Provide for the allotment of Indian reservation lands to tribal members
49th	24 Stat. 440-442	Hatch Act	Mar 2, 1887	Provide subsidies to States for establishment and support of agricultural experiment stations administered by State agricultural colleges
49th	24 Stat. 500	Tenure of Office Act Repeal	Mar 3, 1887	Repeal the Tenure of Office Act of 1887
50TH CONGRESS (DEC 5, 1887 - MAR 3, 1889): ADMINISTRATION OF GROVER CLEVELAND
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
50th	25 Stat. 182-184	Department of Labor Act	Jun 13, 1888	Re-designate the National Bureau of Labor as an independent agency without Cabinet rank
50th	25 Stat. 501-504	Railroad Arbitration Act	Oct 1, 1888	Establish procedures for voluntary arbitration in railroad-labor conflicts
50th	25 Stat. 659	Department of Agriculture Act	Feb 9, 1889	Re-designate the Commission on Agriculture as an independent department with Cabinet level status
51ST CONGRESS (DEC 2, 1889 - MAR 3, 1891): ADMINISTRATION OF BENJAMIN HARRISON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
51st	26 Stat. 81-100	Territory of Oklahoma	May 2, 1890	Establish the Oklahoma Territory
51st	26 Stat. 182-183	Dependent Pension and Disability Act	Jun 27, 1890	Provide pensions to disabled Union veterans and dependents of veterans who work for a living
51st	26 Stat. 209-210	Sherman Antitrust Act	Jul 2, 1890	Provide the Federal Government with authority to prosecute corporations or individuals entering into contracts in restraint of interstate trade or commerce with foreign countries, and provide individuals injured by monopolistic practices with the right to sue for damages
51st	26 Stat. 289-290	Sherman Silver Purchase Act	Jul 14, 1890	Require Department of Treasury to buy certain amounts of silver bullion and issue legal tender Treasury notes redeemable in gold or silver
51st	26 Stat. 567-625	McKinley Tariff Act	Oct 1, 1890	Increase duties and provide for limited reciprocity treaties between the U.S. and countries that produce sugar, molasses, coffee, tea and hides
51st	26 Stat. 826-830	Court of Appeals Act	Mar 3, 1891	Establish the Court of Appeals
51st	26 Stat. 1103	Forestry Reserves Act	Mar 3, 1891	Authorize the President to set aside public lands as forest reserve lands (subsequently called national forests)
51st	26 Stat. 1106-1110	International Copyright Act	Mar 3, 1891	Provide copyright protection to foreign authors whose governments provide U.S. authors with copyright protection
52ND CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1891 - MAR 3, 1893): ADMINISTRATION OF BENJAMIN HARRISON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
52nd	27 Stat. 25-26	Geary Chinese Exclusion Act	May 5, 1892	Extend the Chinese Exclusion Act, provide regulations for the deportment of Chinese, and require all Chinese laborers entitled to remain in the U.S. to obtain certificates of residence
52nd	27 Stat. 340	Eight-Hour Day	Aug 1, 1892	Limit the hours of daily service of laborers employed by the Federal government, D.C. or public works contractors
52nd	27 Stat. 531-532	Railway Safety Appliance Act	Mar 2, 1893	Require all railroads engaged in interstate commerce to equip their cars with certain safety devices
53RD CONGRESS (AUG 7, 1893 - MAR 3, 1895): ADMINISTRATION OF GROVER CLEVELAND
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
53rd	28 Stat. 391	Bureau of Immigration	Aug 18, 1894	Authorize the President to organize a Bureau of Immigration and appoint commissioners
54TH CONGRESS (DEC 2, 1895 - MAR 3, 1897): ADMINISTRATION OF GROVER CLEVELAND
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
54th	28 Stat. 509-570	Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act	Aug 27, 1894	Reduce the tariff rate and permit the Government to levy an income tax on incomes in excess of $4,000 per year
54th	29 Stat. 84	Act of Oblivion	Mar 31, 1896	Repeal law holding that individuals who held commissions or served in an official capacity in the Confederacy were not eligible to hold a position in the U.S. army or navy
55TH CONGRESS (MAR 15, 1897 - MAR 3, 1899): ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM MCKINLEY
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
55th	30 Stat. 151-214	Dingley Tariff Act	Jul 24, 1897	Increase rates of customs duties
55th	30 Stat. 738-739	Recognition of Cuban Independence (Teller Amendment)	Apr 20, 1898	Recognize the independence of Cuba, demand that Spain relinquish its authority and withdraw land and naval forces from Cuba, and direct the President to use force to carry out this resolution
55th	30 Stat. 424-428	Erdman Act	Jun 1, 1898	Provide for mediation by Interstate Commerce Commission Chairman and Bureau of Labor Commissioner in railroad disputes
55th	30 Stat. 448-470	War Revenue Act	Jun 13, 1898	Impose various taxes, including taxes on liquor and tobacco, and authorize Department of Treasury to borrow sums necessary to meet public expenditures
55th	30 Stat. 750-751	Hawaiian Annexation	Jul 7, 1898	Provide for annexation and government of Hawaiian Islands
56TH CONGRESS (DEC 4, 1899 - MAR 3, 1901): ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM MCKINLEY
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
56th	31 Stat. 45-50	Currency Act of 1900 (Gold Standard Act)	Mar 14, 1900	Declare the gold dollar to be the standard unit of monetary value and place all forms of U.S. currency on parity with gold
56th	31 Stat. 77-86	Foraker Act	Apr 12, 1900	Establish a civil government in Puerto Rico and establish the island as an unorganized territory of the U.S.
56th	31 Stat. 141-162	Hawaiian Organic Act	Apr 30, 1900	Accorded Hawaii the political status of an incorporated territory
56th	31 Stat. 897-898	Platt Amendment	Mar 2, 1901	Prohibit Cuba from making a treaty with any foreign nation which would impair its independence, provide the U.S. with the right to intervene in Cuban affairs, and require Cuba to sell or lease lands to the U.S. for coaling and naval stations
56th	31 Stat. 910	Spooner Amendment	Mar 2, 1901	Authorize the President to establish a temporary civil government in the Philippine Islands
57TH CONGRESS (DEC 2, 1901 - MAR 3, 1903): ADMINISTRATION OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
57th	32 Stat. 51-53	Permanent Census Office	Mar 6, 1902	Provide the Census Bureau with permanent status and provide for the appointment of a Director of Census by the President
57th	32 Stat. 388-390	Newlands Reclamation Project	Jun 17, 1902	Authorize the use of the proceeds of public lands sales in western and southwestern States for the development of irrigation projects
57th	32 Stat. 481-484	Spooner (Isthmus of Panama) Act	Jun 28, 1902	Provide for the purchase of rights, work, and property owned by the New Panama Canal Co. of France on the Isthmus of Panama
57th	32 Stat. 691-712	Philippines Government Act	Jul 1, 1902	Declare the Philippine Islands to be an unorganized territory and provide for the establishment of a government
57th	32 Stat. 823	Expedition Act	Feb 11, 1903	Establish procedures to expedite Federal prosecution of antitrust suits
57th	32 Stat. 825-830	Department of Commerce and Labor	Feb 14, 1903	Establish the Department of Commerce and Labor as a Cabinet level department
57th	32 Stat. 847-849	Elkins Act	Feb 19, 1903	Establish a definition of actions that constitute unfair discrimination between shippers engaged in interstate commerce
58TH CONGRESS (NOV 9, 1903 - MAR 3, 1905): ADMINISTRATION OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
58th	33 Stat. 628	Transfer Act	Feb 1, 1905	Transfer control of national forest reserves from the Department of Interior to the Department of Agriculture
59TH CONGRESS (DEC 4, 1905 - MAR 3, 1907): ADMINISTRATION OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
59th	34 Stat. 225	American Antiquities Act	Jun 8, 1906	Require that a permit be obtained for examination of ruins and excavations of archaeological sites, and authorize the President to designate as national monuments objects or areas of historical or scientific interest
59th	34 Stat. 584-595	Hepburn Act	Jun 29, 1906	Empower the Interstate Commerce Commission to establish minimum railroad rates and prescribe uniform accounting systems for railroad corporations
59th	34 Stat. 596-607	Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization	Jun 29, 1906	Establish a Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization
59th	34 Stat. 674-679	Meat Inspection Act	Jun 30, 1906	Authorize Department of Agriculture to assume responsibility for inspections of meats prepared for interstate shipment
59th	34 Stat. 768-772	Pure Food and Drug Act	Jun 30, 1906	Establish penalties for manufacture, sale or transportation of adulterated or mislabeled food, drugs, medicines, and liquors sold in interstate or foreign commerce
59th	34 Stat. 1228-1229	Citizenship and Expatriation Act	Mar 2, 1907	Establish procedures for issuance of passports to non-U.S. citizens, for expatriation of U.S. citizens, and for granting of citizenship to foreigners married to U.S. citizens
60TH CONGRESS (DEC 2, 1907 - MAR 3, 1909): ADMINISTRATION OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
60th	35 Stat. 546-553	Aldrich-Vreeland Emergency Currency Act	May 30, 1908	Establish a commission to study banking and currency systems, and authorize national banks to form associations permitted to issue circulating notes in times of emergency
61ST CONGRESS (MAR 15, 1909 - MAR 3, 1911): ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM A. TAFT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
61st	36 Stat. 11-118	Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act	Aug 5, 1909	Lower customs duties, establish a Tariff Commission, and impose a tax on interstate corporations
61st	36 Stat. 539-557	Mann-Elkins Act	Jun 18, 1910	Place telegraph, telephone, cable, and wireless companies under the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and establish a Federal Court of Commerce to hear appeals regarding Interstate Commerce Commission rulings
61st	36 Stat. 822-824	Publicity of Campaign Contributions Act	Jun 25, 1910	Require candidates for the House of Representatives to report campaign contributions greater than $10
61st	36 Stat. 825-827	White-Slave Trade Act (Mann Act)	Jun 25, 1910	Prohibit transportation of women across state lines for immoral purposes
61st	36 Stat. 961-963	Weeks Act	Mar 1, 1911	Authorize interstate compacts for forest and water supply conservation, establish Federal grants to States for the prevention of forest fires in watersheds of navigable rivers, and grant States a percentage of proceeds from national forests within their boundaries to be used for schools and roads
62ND CONGRESS (APR 4, 1911 - MAR 3, 1913): ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM A. TAFT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
62nd	37 Stat. 512-518	Alaska Organic Act	Aug 24, 1912	Establish the Territory of Alaska as an unincorporated territory of the U.S.
62nd	37 Stat. 699-700	Webb-Kenyon Interstate Liquor Act	Mar 1, 1913	Prohibit interstate shipping of liquor into States where sale of liquor is illegal
62nd	37 Stat. 701-703	Physical Valuation Act	Mar 1, 1913	Empower the Interstate Commerce Commission to analyze railroad property to establish cost and physical valuation as a basis for rate making and the fixing of a reasonable profit
62nd	37 Stat. 736-738	Department of Labor Establishment	Mar 4, 1913	Separate the Department of Commerce and Labor into two Cabinet level departments and establish U.S. Board of Mediation and Conciliation
63RD CONGRESS (APR 7, 1913 - MAR 3, 1915): ADMINISTRATION OF WOODROW WILSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
63rd	38 Stat. 114-202	Underwood-Simmons Tariff Act	Oct 3, 1913	Lower customs duties, authorize the President to negotiate reciprocal trade agreements, establish anti-dumping measures, and impose a one percent tax on incomes above $42,000 and a graduated one to six percent tax on incomes of $20,000 and above
63rd	38 Stat. 251-275	Federal Reserve Bank Act	Dec 23, 1913	Provide for the designation of Federal Reserve Bank cities, and establish the Federal Reserve Board
63rd	38 Stat. 372-375	Smith-Lever Act	May 8, 1914	Establish an agricultural extension work system based on cooperation between the Department of Agriculture and the land grant colleges
63rd	38 Stat. 717-724	Federal Trade Commission Act	Sep 26, 1914	Prohibit unfair competition in interstate commerce and establish the Federal Trade Commission
63rd	38 Stat. 730-740	Clayton Antitrust Act	Oct 15, 1914	Prohibit certain forms of price discrimination, certain inter-corporate stock holdings and interlocking directorates; provide remedies for parties injured by monopolistic practices; and declare strikes and boycotts to be legal
63rd	38 Stat. 745-764	War Revenue Act of 1914	Oct 22, 1914	Increase certain internal taxes, including taxes on liquor and tobacco
63rd	38 Stat. 800-803	Creation of U.S. Coast Guard	Jan 28, 1915	Combine the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service to create the U.S. Coast Guard
64TH CONGRESS (DEC 6, 1915 - MAR 3, 1917): ADMINISTRATION OF WOODROW WILSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
64th	39 Stat. 166-217	National Defense Act	Jun 3, 1916	Provide for reorganization of the armed forces in peace-time, provide for reserve officers trainings corps at colleges and universities, authorize the construction of a plant for the production of nitrates and munitions, establish a signal corps, and provide for the purchase and maintenance of airships
64th	39 Stat. 355-359	Rural Post Roads Act	Jul 11, 1916	Authorize Federal aid to States for the construction of roads over which the U.S. mails could be transported
64th	39 Stat. 360-384	Federal Farm Loan Bank Act	Jul 17, 1916	Establish a Federal land bank system to be administered by a Federal Farm Loan Board
64th	39 Stat. 486-493	Warehouse Act	Aug 11, 1916	Authorize licensed and bonded warehouses to issue receipts against certain agricultural commodities that are negotiable as delivery orders or as collateral for loans
64th	39 Stat. 535-536	Office of National Parks, Buildings and Reservations	Aug 25, 1916	Establish the Office of National Parks, Buildings and Reservations
64th	39 Stat. 545-556	Jones Act (Organic Act of the Philippine Islands)	Aug 29, 1916	Declare that it was the intention of the U.S. people to provide a more autonomous government for the Philippines and eventually grant independence
64th	39 Stat. 675-676	Keating-Owen Child Labor Act	Sep 1, 1916	Prohibit the interstate shipment of the products of child labor and establish minimum age and hours laws
64th	39 Stat. 721-722	Adamson Act	Sep 3, 5, 1916	Establish an 8-hour work day and time-and-a half for overtime on interstate railroads
64th	39 Stat. 728-738	Shipping Act	Sep 7, 1916	Establish the U.S. Shipping Board empowered to acquire vessels through the Emergency Fleet Corp.
64th	39 Stat. 874-898	Immigration Act	Feb 5, 1917	Restrict immigration of Asian laborers, and require immigrants to pass a literacy test preceding admission to the U.S.
64th	39 Stat. 929-936	Smith-Hughes Act	Feb 23, 1917	Establish the Federal Board of Vocational Education
65TH CONGRESS (APR 2, 1917 - MAR 3, 1919): ADMINISTRATION OF WOODROW WILSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
65th	40 Stat. 1	Declaration of a State of War with Germany	Apr 6, 1917	Proclaim that a state of war exists with Germany
65th	40 Stat. 35-37	Liberty Loan Act	Apr 24, 1917	Authorize a bond issue for costs of war and authorize loans to Allies
65th	40 Stat. 76-83	Selective Service Act	May 18, 1917	Require registration and classification for military service of all men between the ages of 21 and 30, and provide for selection by lottery of physically fit registrants for military service
65th	40 Stat. 217-231	Espionage Act	Jun 15, 1917	Establish severe penalties for treasonable and disloyal activities against the interests of Government
65th	40 Stat. 276-287	Lever Food and Fuel Control Act	Aug 10, 1917	Authorize the President to fix prices and to place controls on output and consumption, and prohibit the importation and manufacture of distilled spirits for the duration of the war
65th	40 Stat. 300-338	War Revenue Act	Oct 3, 1917	Increase corporate and personal income taxes and establish excise, excess-profit, and luxury taxes
65th	40 Stat. 411-426	Trading With the Enemy Act	Oct 6, 1917	Prohibit commercial activity with enemy nations or their associates, authorize the President to place an embargo on imports, authorize censorship of any material passing between the U.S. and any foreign nation, establish a custodian of alien property, and establish a War Trade Board with power to license imports and exports to facilitate U.S. trade and hamper enemy trade
65th	40 Stat. 1729-1733	Declaration of a State of War With Austria-Hungary	Dec 11, 1917	Proclaim that a state of war exists with Austria-Hungary
65th	40 Stat. 450-451	Daylight Standard Time Act	Mar 19, 1918	Establish standard time zones and establish daylight savings time from Mar to Oct to conserve electric energy
65th	40 Stat. 451-458	Railroad Control Act	Mar 21, 1918	Place the management of all railroads under Federal control
65th	40 Stat. 506-515	War Finance Corporation Act	Apr 5, 1918	Establish a War Finance Corp. with power to lend to banks to cover loans made to war industries and to lend to persons and corporations engaged in business necessary to the prosecution of war
65th	40 Stat. 516-518	Webb-Pomerene Export Trade Act	Apr 10, 1918	Provide exporters to establish associations to facilitate export trade without being liable for violation of antitrust laws
65th	40 Stat. 533-534	Sabotage Act	Apr 20, 1918	Establish penalties for disruption of activities related to national defense
65th	40 Stat. 553-554	Sedition Act	May 16, 1918	Establish severe penalties for making or conveying false statements interfering with the prosecution of war, and for willfully uttering, printing, writing or publishing any language disloyal to our form of Government, the Constitution or the armed forces
65th	40 Stat. 755-757	Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918	Jul 3, 1918	Implement the 1916 Convention Between the U.S. and Great Britain (for Canada) for the Protection of Migratory Birds
66TH CONGRESS (MAY 19, 1919 - MAR 3, 1921): ADMINISTRATION OF WOODROW WILSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
66th	41 Stat. 305-323	National Prohibition Act (Volstead Act)	Oct 28, 1919	Authorize the commissioner of Internal Revenue to enforce the 18th constitutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture, sale, or transportation of liquor
66th	41 Stat. 437-451	Mineral Leasing Act of 1920	Feb 25, 1920	Establish a leasing system for acquisition of coal, oil and other mineral deposits
66th	41 Stat. 456-499	Transportation Act of 1920 (Esch-Cummins Transportation Act)	Feb 28, 1920	Establish a Railroad Labor Board for the adjustment of labor disputes, return the railroads from Federal to private control, and exempt railroads form antitrust laws
66th	41 Stat. 988-1008	Jones Merchant Marine Act	Jun 5, 1920	Repeal emergency war legislation relating to U.S. shipping, reorganize the U.S. shipping Board, and authorize the sale of government ships to private operators
66th	41 Stat. 1063-1077	Federal Water Power Act	Jun 10, 1920	Create a Federal Power Commission authorized to regulate waterways on public lands and navigable streams, and to license the use of dam sites for electric power
67TH CONGRESS (APR 11, 1921 - MAR 3, 1923): ADMINISTRATION OF WARREN G. HARDING
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
67th	42 Stat. 5-7	First Immigration Quota Act	May 19, 1921	Establish immigration quotas based on nationality
67th	42 Stat. 20-27	National Budget and Accounting Act	Jun 10, 1921	Establish a Budget Bureau in the Department of Treasury to formulate and oversee budget expenditures, and establish a General Accounting Office to carry out independent audits of Government accounts
67th	42 Stat. 147-157	Establishment of Veterans' Bureau	Aug 9, 1921	Establish the Veterans' Bureau as an independent agency
67th	42 Stat. 159-169	Packers and Stockyards Act	Aug 15, 1921	Prohibit unfair practices, including manipulation and control of prices, that create a monopoly or restraint of trade in livestock, poultry, and dairy industries
67th	42 Stat. 187-191	Future Trading Act	Aug 24, 1921	Establish procedures to regulate grain futures markets in order to prevent market manipulation and monopolistic practices
67th	42 Stat. 224-226	Sheppard-Towner Maternity and Infancy Act	Nov 23, 1921	Provide Federal aid to States to promote welfare and hygiene of mothers and infants
67th	42 Stat. 388-389	Capper-Volstead Cooperative Marketing Act	Feb 18, 1922	Exempt agricultural associations and cooperatives from anti-trust laws to allow cooperative buying and selling by farmers
67th	42 Stat 1021-1022	Cable Act	Sep 22, 1922	Provide that a woman would no longer lose her citizenship if she married an alien or automatically gain her citizenship if she married a U.S. citizen
67th	42 Stat 1454-1482	Agricultural Credits Act	Mar 4, 1923	Authorize the creation of Intermediate Credit Banks authorized to make agricultural loans against land, crops, and livestock
68TH CONGRESS (DEC 3, 1923 - MAR 3, 1925): ADMINISTRATION OF CALVIN COOLIDGE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
68th	43 Stat. 121-131	Soldiers’ Bonus Bill	May 19, 1924	Authorize bonuses for World War I veterans
68th	43 Stat. 140-146	Rogers Foreign Service Act	May 24, 1924	Reorganize diplomatic and consular services
68th	43 Stat. 153-169	Immigration Quota Act	May 26, 1924	Lower the annual immigration quota for all nationalities
68th	43 Stat. 253	Native-born American Indians Made Citizens	Jun 2, 1924	Grants citizenship to all non-citizen Indians born in the U.S.
68th	43 Stat. 1070-1074	Federal Corrupt Practices Act of 1925	Feb 28, 1925	Limit campaign expenditures by candidates for the House of Representative and the Senate
69TH CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1925 - MAR 3, 1927): ADMINISTRATION OF CALVIN COOLIDGE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
69th	44 Stat. 9-131	Revenue Act of 1926	Feb 26, 1926	Reduce personal income and inheritance taxes, abolish numerous excise taxes, and increase taxes on corporations
69th	44 Stat. 577-587	Railway Labor Act	May 20, 1926	Abolish the Railroad Labor Board and establish the Board of mediation to mediate disputes between railroad employees and employers
69th	44 Stat. 568-576	Air Commerce Act	May 20, 1926	Establish the Air Commerce Bureau within the Department of Commerce with jurisdiction over civil aviation safety
69th	44 Stat. 630-635	Public Buildings Act	May 25, 1926	Authorize construction of Federal buildings, including buildings in D.C.
69th	44 Stat. 1162-1174	Radio Control Act	Feb 23, 1927	Establish the Federal Radio Commission empowered to issue and revoke radio licenses
70TH CONGRESS (DEC 5, 1927 - MAR 3, 1929): ADMINISTRATION OF CALVIN COOLIDGE
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
70th	45 Stat. 534-539	Flood Control Act	May 15, 1928	Authorize appropriations for flood control in the Mississippi River Valley
71ST CONGRESS APR 15, 1929 - MAR 3, 1931): ADMINISTRATION OF HERBERT HOOVER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
71st	46 Stat. 11-19	Agricultural Marketing Act	Jun 15, 1929	Establish the Federal Farm Board to promote the marketing of farm commodities through agricultural cooperatives and stabilization corporations
71st	46 Stat. 590-763	Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act	Jun 17, 1930	Increase duties on imported agricultural products and reorganize the Tariff Commission
71st	46 Stat. 991-1002	Veterans' Administration Act	Jul 3, 1930	Establish the Veterans Administration empowered to administer all Federal veterans programs
71st	46 Stat. 1508	National Anthem	Mar 3, 1931	Designated Francis Scott Key's "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the U.S. national anthem
72ND CONGRESS (DEC 7, 1931 - MAR 3, 1933): ADMINISTRATION OF HERBERT HOOVER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
72nd	47 Stat. 5-12	Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act	Jan 22, 1932	Create the Reconstruction Finance Corp. with authority to issue tax-exempt bonds and to extend credit to provide emergency financing for banking institutions, life insurance companies, farm mortgage associations, building and loan corporations, and other businesses
72nd	47 Stat. 56-57	Glass-Steagall Act of 1932	Feb 27, 1932	Authorize the sale of Government gold to provide for industrial and business needs and provide the Federal Reserve System with more flexibility in discounting commercial paper
72nd	47 Stat. 709-724	Emergency Relief and Construction Act	Jul 21, 1932	Extend the scope and functions of the Reconstruction Finance Corp.
72nd	47 Stat. 725-741	Federal Home Loan Bank Act	Jul 22, 1932	Establish the Home Loan Bank Board and System
73RD CONGRESS (MAR 9, 1933 - JUN 18, 1934): ADMINISTRATION OF FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
73rd	48 Stat. 1-7	Emergency Banking Relief Act	Mar 9, 1933	Provide the President with broad discretionary powers over transactions in credit, current, gold, and silver, including foreign exchange; require Federal Reserve Banks to be licensed by Department of Treasury; and prohibit ownership or export of gold
73rd	48 Stat. 8-16	Economy Act	Mar 20, 1933	Reduce Federal employee salaries, reduce veterans benefits, and reorganize Federal agencies to achieve economies
73rd	48 Stat. 16-20	Beer-Wine Revenue Act	Mar 22, 1933	Legalize wine, beer, and ale and levy a tax per barrel
73rd	48 Stat. 22-23	Civilian Conservation Corps	Mar 31, 1933	Establish the Civilian Conservation Corps to create conservation-related jobs for unemployed citizens
73rd	48 Stat. 31-54	Agricultural Adjustment Act	May 12, 1933	Create the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) control surplus crops to stabilize farm prices
73rd	48 Stat. 55-58	Federal Emergency Relief Act	May 12, 1933	Create the Federal Emergency Relief Administration to aid State and local programs providing relief to the poor and hungry
73rd	48 Stat. 58-72	Tennessee Valley Authority	May 18, 1933	Establish the Tennessee Valley Authority as an independent public corporation to construct dams and power plants, develop rural electrification plans for flood and erosion control, and build recreation areas in the Tennessee River Valley area
73rd	48 Stat. 74-95	Federal Securities Act	May 27, 1933	Establish requirements for the registration of new issue securities with the Federal trade Commission
73rd	48 Stat. 112-113	Gold Standard Repeal	Jun 5, 1933	Cancel the gold clause in all Federal and private obligations and provide that all contracts and debts be payable in legal tender
73rd	48 Stat. 113-117	National Employment System Act	Jun 6, 1933	Establish a national system of employment services
73rd	48 Stat. 128-135	Home Owners' Loan Act of 1933	Jun 13, 1933	Establish the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation to refinance home mortgage debts for non-farm homeowners
73rd	48 Stat. 162-195	Banking Act of 1933 (Glass-Steagall Act of 1933)	Jun 16, 1933	Established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to guarantee individual bank deposits, permit branch banking, provide regulatory separation of deposit banking from investment affiliates, and expand the membership of the Federal Reserve System
73rd	48 Stat. 195-211	National Industrial Recovery Act	Jun 16, 1933	Establish the National Industrial Recovery Administration; to empower the President to prescribe anti-trust-exempt fair trade codes for industries and to make agreements or approve voluntary agreements; to guarantee the right of working men to organize and bargain collectively through representatives; and to create the Public Works Administration empowered to administer the construction of huge public works projects to stimulate the economy
73rd	48 Stat. 337-344	Gold Reserve Act of 1934	Jan 30, 1934	Authorize the President to set limits for the devaluation of the dollar in relation to its gold content and to impound in the Treasury gold stocks held by the Federal reserve Banks
73rd	48 Stat. 344-349	Farm Mortgage Refinancing Act	Jan 31, 1934	Establish the Federal Farm Mortgage Corp. to provide for the refinancing of farm debts on favorable terms
73rd	48 Stat. 456-465	Tydings-McDuffie Philippines Independence Act	Mar 24, 1934	Provide for the independence of the Philippine Islands, contingent upon Philippine adoption of a constitution
73rd	48 Stat. 798-803	Municipal Bankruptcy Act	May 24, 1934	Establish a uniform U.S. system of bankruptcy
73rd	48 Stat. 881-909	Securities Exchange Act of 1934	Jun 6, 1934	Establish the Securities and Exchange commission empowered to regulate securities and securities markets
73rd	48 Stat. 984-988	Indian Reorganization Act	Jun 18, 1934	Prohibit further allotment of Indian lands to individuals, and establish programs to encourage reservation life and develop tribal government
73rd	48 Stat. 1064-1105	Communications Act of 1934	Jun 19, 1934	Establish the Federal Communications Commission empowered to regulate telegraph, cable and radio communications
73rd	48 Stat. 1178-1181	Silver Purchase Act of 1934	Jun 19, 1934	Authorize the President to increase the monetary value of the Treasury’s silver holdings
73rd	48 Stat. 1246-1265	National Housing Act	Jun 27, 1934	Create the Federal Housing Administration empowered to insure loans made by banks, trust companies, building and loan associations, and other private lending institutions for new construction, repairs, alterations, and improvements
73rd	48 Stat. 1275-1281	Tobacco Control Act	Jun 28, 1934	Authorize a compulsory production quota system for tobacco planters who did not agree to crop reduction
74TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1935 - JUN 20, 1936): ADMINISTRATION OF FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
74th	49 Stat. 163-164	Soil Conservation Act	Apr 27, 1935	Establish the Soil Conservation Service within the Department of Agriculture for the control and prevention of soil erosion
74th	49 Stat. 449-457	Wagner-Connery National Labor Relations Act	Jul 5, 1935	Create a National Labor Relations Board empowered to determine appropriate collective bargaining units subject to elections supervised at the request of workers, to certify the duly chosen trade union, to receive testimony about unfair employer practices, and to issue cease and desist orders
74th	49 Stat. 543-567	Motor Carrier Act	Aug 9, 1935	Authorize the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate buses engaged in interstate commerce
74th	49 Stat. 620-648	Social Security Act	Aug 14, 1935	Create the Social Security Board and establish a national system of social insurance, including old-age pensions
74th	49 Stat. 803-863	Wheeler-Rayburn Public Utility Holding Company Act	Aug 26, 1935	Authorize the Federal Power Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to regulate interstate transmission of electric power and gas
74th	49 Stat. 967-974	Wagner-Crosser Railroad Retirement Act	Aug 29, 1935	Establish a retirement system for railroad employees
74th	49 Stat. 1014-1028	Revenue Act of 1935	Aug 30, 1935	Increase income and estate tax rates for wealthier individual and corporate taxpayers
74th	49 Stat. 1081-1085	Neutrality Act	Aug 31, 1935	Prohibit the export of arms, ammunition, and implements of war to belligerent countries
74th	49 Stat. 1807-1877	Virgin Islands Organic Act	Jun 22, 1936	Provide for limited self-government for the Virgin Islands
75TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1937 - JAN 3, 1939): ADMINISTRATION OF FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
75th	50 Stat. 522-533	Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act	Jul 22, 1937	Establish a Farm Security Administration to provide low-interest 40-year mortgages to sharecroppers and others who would ordinarily not be able to afford a farm
75th	50 Stat. 693-694	Miller-Tydings Enabling Act	Aug 17, 1937	Amend Federal antitrust laws to legalize contracts made by producers or distributors for the resale price maintenance of branded nationally advertised goods traded in interstate commerce in States where such contracts, authorized by State laws, were illegal under existing Federal laws
75th	50 Stat. 888-899	Wagner-Steagall National Housing Act	Sep 1, 1937	Create the U.S. Housing Authority within the Department of the Interior, authorized to extend low-interest 60-year loans to local public agencies meeting at least 10 percent of the cost of slum clearance and housing projects, and to grant subsidies for setting rents geared to low-income levels in areas where local agencies provide an amount equal up to 25 percent of the Federal grant
75th	50 Stat. 917-919	Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson Act)	Sep 2, 1937	Provide Federal aid to States for game and non-game wildlife restoration work, and for the development of comprehensive fish and wildlife management plans
75th	52 Stat. 31-77	Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938	Feb 16, 1938	Authorize Department of Agriculture to fix a marketing quota whenever it was determined that the surplus of any export arm commodity was great enough to threaten the price level, authorize acreage allotments to each grower after two-thirds of the farmers had by referendum expressed their approval of the marketing quota, and authorize the Government to lend money to farmers against surplus crops and to store these crops until they could be sold in a year when production was down and prices up
75th	52 Stat. 401-403	Naval Expansion Act	May 17, 1938	Authorize expansion of the U.S. Navy in order to be able to build a "2-ocean" navy over the ensuing 10 years
75th	52 Stat. 809-821	Work Relief and Public Works Appropriation Act of 1938	Jun 21, 1938	Provide loans and grants for work relief, public building construction projects, and rural electrification
75th	52 Stat. 1040-1059	Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act	Jun 25, 1938	Prohibit misbranding of products, and require manufacturers of foods, drugs, and cosmetics to list their ingredients on product labels
75th	52 Stat. 1060-1069	Fair Labor Standards Act	Jun 25, 1938	Establish a minimum wage of 25 cents an hour (which was to gradually increase to 40 cents an hour after seven years), and a maximum work week of 44 hours for the first year and 40 hours thereafter
76TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1939 - JAN 3, 1941): ADMINISTRATION OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
76th	53 Stat. 1147-1149	Hatch Act	Aug 2, 1939	Prohibit Federal employees from using official authority for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the election or the nomination of any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Senator, Representative, and Delegate or Commissioner from Territories or insular possessions; from actively participating in political campaigns; and from soliciting or accepting contributions from work relief employees
76th	54 Stat. 4-12	Neutrality Act of 1939	Nov 4, 1939	Repeal the arms embargo clause of the Neutrality Act of 1937 to allow belligerents to purchase armaments in the U.S. providing they pay cash and used their own ships for transportation
76th	54 Stat. 670-676	Alien Registration Act (Smith Act)	Jun 28, 1940	Require all foreigners to register and be fingerprinted, and make it unlawful to be a member of any organization that advocates the overthrow of the Government by force or violence
76th	54 Stat. 885-897	Burke-Wadsworth Selective Service Training Act	Sep 16, 1940	Provide for the registration of all men between 21 and 35 years of age for military service, and provide for their training over a one-year period
77TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1941 - DEC 16, 1942): ADMINISTRATION OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
77th	55 Stat. 31-33	Lend-Lease Act	Mar 11, 1941	Enable any country whose defense the President deems vital to the U.S. to receive arms and other equipment and supplies by sale, transfer, exchange, or lease
77th	55 Stat. 764-765	Repeal of Certain Sections of the Neutrality Act of 1939	Nov 17, 1941	Permit U.S. merchant ships to be armed and carry cargoes to warring nations
77th	55 Stat. 795	Declaration of a State of War with Japan	Dec 8, 1941	Declare that a state of war exists between the U.S. and Japan, and authorize the deployment of the naval and military forces of the U.S. and the resources of the Government to carry on the war and bring it to a successful termination
77th	55 Stat. 796	Declaration of a State of War with Germany	Dec 11, 1941	Declare that a state of war exists between the U.S. and Germany, and authorize the deployment of the naval and military forces of the U.S. and the resources of the Government to carry on the war and bring it to a successful termination
77th	55 Stat. 797	Declaration of a State of War With Italy	Dec 11, 1941	Declare that a state of war exists between the U.S. and Italy, and authorize the deployment of the naval and military forces of the U.S. and the resources of the Government to carry on the war and bring it to a successful termination
77th	55 Stat. 838-841	First War Powers Act	Dec 18, 1941	Provide the President with authority to redistribute functions, duties, and powers of executive departments, commissions, bureaus, agencies, and governmental corporations, offices, and officers; to enter into contracts without regard to designated provisions of law; and to investigate, regulate, or prohibit any transactions in foreign exchange, coins, or exports
77th	55 Stat. 844-847	New Selective Service Act	Dec 20, 1941	Provide that all men between the ages of 18 and 65 must register, and all men from 20 to 45 be subject to military training and service
77th	56 Stat. 23-37	Emergency Price Control Act of 1942	Jan 30, 1942	Establish the Office of Price Administration with power to fix price ceilings on all commodities (except farm products) and to control rents in defense-related areas
77th	56 Stat. 176-187	Second War Powers Act	Mar 27, 1942	Authorize the President to allocate materials and facilities as necessary for U.S. defense, and grant additional powers to several Federal agencies
77th	56 Stat. 278-282	Women's Army Auxiliary Corps Act	May 14, 1942	Created the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) for noncombatant service with the Army
77th	56 Stat. 1018-1019	Teenage Draft Act	Nov 13, 1942	Make 18- and 19-year old males eligible for the draft
78TH CONGRESS (JAN 6, 1943 - DEC 19, 1944): ADMINISTRATION OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
78th	57 Stat. 163-169	Smith-Connally Anti-Strike Act	Jun 25, 1943	Broaden the President's power to place firms necessary to the war effort under the control of the Government, make it illegal for a union to strike any war industry, require unions in plants not essential to the war effort to observe a 30-day cooling-off period before they call a strike, and outlaw monetary contributions by unions to political campaigns and candidates
78th	58 Stat. 136-149	Soldier Vote Act	Apr 1, 1944	Authorize absentee voting in time of war by members of the armed services
78th	58 Stat. 284-301	Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (G.I. Bill)	Jun 22, 1944	Authorize the Veterans Administration to assist veterans of World War II in adjusting to the conditions of civilian life through the provision of academic training, Federal loans, employment programs, and medical assistance
78th	58 Stat. 765-784	Surplus Property Act of 1944	Oct 3, 1944	Establish a three-member board to supervise the disposal of surplus Government property through transfer or sale at fair market value, and assign preferences in acquiring such property to other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit educational institutions, veterans, and small businesses
78th	58 Stat. 785-792	War Mobilization and Reconversion Act	Oct 3, 1944	Centralize responsibility for contract settlement, surplus disposal, and redeployment programs in the Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion, and authorize interest-free loans or advances to State and local governments to help finance the planning of public works
79TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1945 - AUG 2, 1946): ADMINISTRATIONS OF FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AND HARRY S. TRUMAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
79th	59 Stat. 512-517	Bretton Woods Agreements Act	Jul 31, 1945	Provide for U.S. participation in the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
79th	59 Stat. 619-621	United Nations Participation Act of 1945	Dec 20, 1945	Provide for appointment of U.S. representatives to the UN
79th	60 Stat. 23-26	Employment Act of 1946	Feb 20, 1946	Establish the President's Council of Economic Advisers and the Joint Economic Committee
79th	60 Stat. 170-180	Federal Airport Act	May 13, 1946	Authorize matching Federal grants to cities and States for construction of airports
79th	60 Stat. 230-234	National School Lunch Act of 1946	Jun 4, 1946	Authorize Federal grants to States for non-profit school lunch programs in public and private schools
79th	60 Stat. 535	British Loan Act	Jul 15, 1946	Authorized a loan to assist Great Britain in removing trade and currency exchange restrictions hampering post-war programs for economic reconstruction and trade liberalization
79th	60 Stat. 754-755	Fulbright Scholars Act	Aug 1, 1946	Establish an international educational and cultural exchange program
79th	60 Stat. 755-775	Atomic Energy Act	Aug 1, 1946	Transfer control over all aspects of atomic energy development from the War Department to a five-member civilian Atomic Energy Commission appointed by the President to administer research, production, control, and military application of atomic energy
79th	60 Stat. 812-852	Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (includes the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act)	Aug 2, 1946	Reduce the number of standing committees from 48 to 19 in the House and from 35 to 15 in the Senate, provide for preparation of an annual legislative budget to complement the President's budget, increase the salaries of Senators and Representatives, and require lobbyists to register and report their lobbying expenses
79th	60 Stat. 1040-1049	Hospital Survey and Construction Act	Aug 13, 1946	Authorize a program of matching State and local grants for hospital construction
79th	60 Stat. 1049-1056	Indian Claims Commission Act	Aug 13, 1946	Establish an Indian Claims Commission to consider the claims of those Indian tribes who felt they had received unfair treatment in land transactions with the Federal government
80TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1947 - DEC 31, 1948): ADMINISTRATION OF HARRY S. TRUMAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
80th	61 Stat. 103-105	Greek-Turkish Aid Act	May 22, 1947	Provide financial and military aid to the governments of Greece and Turkey, both of which were then engaged in defending heavy Soviet encroachments
80th	61 Stat. 125-128	Foreign Relief Act	May 31, 1947	Provide economic assistance to several countries, including Austria, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Poland, Trieste, and China, damaged by the effects of World War II and the severe winter of 1946-1947
80th	61 Stat. 136-162	Taft-Hartley Labor-Management Relations Act	Jun 23, 1947	Prohibit closed shops, jurisdictional strikes, and secondary boycotts; provide for a 60-day moratorium before a strike can be called against industries engaged in interstate commerce; require that union finances be made public; prohibit unions from contributing to political campaigns; and prohibit Communists from holding union offices
80th	61 Stat. 380-381	Presidential Succession Act	Jul 18, 1947	Change the order of succession in the event of the death of the President of the United States, making the Speaker of the House of Representatives and then the President pro tempore of the Senate next in the line of succession to the Presidency after the Vice President
80th	61 Stat. 397	Trusteeship Agreement for the Territory of the Pacific Islands	July, 18, 1947	Authorize the President to approve a trusteeship agreement between the U.S. and the UN Security Council, placing Micronesia in the international trustee system
80th	61 Stat. 495-510	National Security Act	Jul 26, 1947	Replace the War and Navy Departments with a National Military Establishment consisting of separately administered Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force under the general direction, authority, and control of a Secretary of Defense; designate the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the principal military advisers to the President and the Secretary; and establish the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council
80th	62 Stat. 6-14	U.S. Information and Education Exchange Act (Smith-Mundt Act)	Jan 27, 1948	Establish an information service, including the Voice of America within the State Department to disseminate information about the U.S.; and create an educational exchange service to cooperate with other nations in exchanging people, knowledge, and skills
80th	62 Stat. 137-159	Economic Cooperation Act of 1948 (Marshall Plan)	Apr 3, 1948	Create a European Recovery Program and establish the Economic Cooperation Administration to provide economic assistance to 16 European countries
81ST CONGRESS (FEB 3, 1949 - JAN 2, 1951): ADMINISTRATION OF HARRY S. TRUMAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
81st	63 Stat. 413-444	Housing Act of 1949	Jul 15, 1949	Establish a national housing objective and authorize Federal aid for slum-clearance, low-rent public housing projects, and construction of decent, safe, and sanitary farm dwellings
81st	63 Stat. 578-592	National Security Act Amendments of 1949	Aug 10, 1949	Rename and reorganize the National Military Defense Establishment to create an executive Department of Defense
81st	63 Stat. 714-721	Mutual Defense Assistance Act of 1949	Oct 6, 1949	Provide for U.S. participation in NATO, and extend provisions of the Marshall Plan
81st	63 Stat. 910-920	Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1949	Oct 26, 1949	Raise the minimum wage and revise various fair labor standards
81st	64 Stat. 149-157	National Science Foundation Act	May 10, 1950	Establish the National Science Foundation, authorized and directed to develop and encourage the pursuit of a national policy for the promotion of scientific research and education of future scientists
81st	64 Stat. 198-210	Foreign Economic Assistance Act of 1950	Jun 5, 1950	Authorize various foreign aid programs, including the Point IV program providing for technical assistance and capital investments in less developed countries
81st	64 Stat. 384-393	Organic Act of Guam	Aug 1, 1950	Grant U.S. citizenship to the inhabitants of Guam and provide Guam with a system of local self-government
81st	64 Stat. 430-443	Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act (Dingell-Johnson Act)	Aug 9, 1950	Provide Federal aid to States for management and restoration of fish with sport or recreation value in the marine or fresh waters of the U.S.
81st	64 Stat. 477-561	Social Security Amendments of 1950	Aug 28, 1950	Extend and improve the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance System and revise the public assistance and child welfare provisions of the Social Security Act
81st	64 Stat. 987-1031	McCarran Internal Security Act of 1950 (including the Subversive Activities Control Act of 1950 and the Emergency detention Act of 1950)	Sep 23, 1950	Establish the Subversive Activities Control Board to rule on petitions of U.S. Attorney General to list organizations believed to be Communist and require that they register with the Justice Department and submit information concerning membership, finances and activities; require registration of Communist and Communist-front organization members; provide for the internment of Communists during national emergencies, and prohibit employment of Communists in national defense work; and prohibit from entry into the U.S. anyone who has been a member of a totalitarian party
82ND CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1951 - JUL 7, 1952): ADMINISTRATION OF HARRY S. TRUMAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
82nd	65 Stat. 69-71	India Emergency Food Aid Act	Jun 15, 1951	Authorize the President to provide loans to famine-stricken India for the purchase of U.S. grain
82nd	65 Stat. 644-647	Mutual Defense Assistance Control Act of 1951	Oct 26, 1951	Provide for mandatory termination of aid to any country found to be shipping arms or munitions to Soviet-dominated areas
82nd	66 Stat. 141-151	Mutual Security Act of 1952	Jun 20, 1952	Extend military and economic assistance to non-Communist countries in Near East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America
82nd	66 Stat. 163-282	McCarran-Walter Immigration and Nationality Act	Jun 27, 1952	Continue the national origins quota system, but eliminate the exclusion of Asians; and tighten provisions for the exclusion of aliens believed to be dangerous to the U.S.
82nd	66 Stat. 327-328	Approval of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico	Jul 3, 1952	Provide for approval of the new constitution drafted by Puerto Rico and elevate the status of the island to the status of a free commonwealth voluntarily associated with the U.S.
82nd	66 Stat. 663-691	Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1952 (G.I. Bill of Rights)	Jul 16, 1952	Provide veterans of the Korean War with home, farm, and business loan benefits, mustering out payments, and educational and vocational assistance
82nd	66 Stat. 692-710	Federal Coal Mine Safety Act Amendments	Jul 16, 1952	Authorize the Bureau of Mines to order unsafe mines with 15 or more employees that are threatened with imminent disaster from fire, explosion, flooding, or cave-in to shut down until made safe
83RD CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1953 - DEC 2, 1954): ADMINISTRATION OF DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
83rd	67 Stat. 631-632	Department of Health, Education, and Welfare	Apr 11, 1953	Establish the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and include the Social Security Administration, the Office of Education, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation within the new department
83rd	67 Stat. 29-33	Submerged Lands ("Tidelands") Act	May 22, 1953	Confirm and establish that the U.S. owns the submerged lands in the sea off its borders and the mineral resources of such lands, and confirm the jurisdiction and control of the Federal Government over the natural resources of the seabed beyond the submerged lands as far as the edge of the continental shelf
83rd	67 Stat. 230-240	Small Business Administration Act	Jul 30, 1953	Dissolve the Reconstruction Finance Corp. and establish as a successor organization, the Small Business Administration
83rd	67 Stat. 390-400	Farm Credit Act of 1953	Aug 6, 1953	Remove the Farm Credit Administration from the Agriculture Department and make it an independent agency, to be governed by a 13-member Farm Credit Board
83rd	67 Stat. 400-407	Refugee Relief Act of 1953	Aug 7, 1953	Authorize the admission to the U.S. of 209,000 refugees not provided for by the regular quotas
83rd	67 Stat. 462-471	Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act	Aug 7, 1953	Provide for U.S. jurisdiction over the submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands, and authorize the leasing of such lands by the Department of the Interior
83rd	68 Stat. 92-97	St. Lawrence Seaway Act of 1954	May 13, 1954	Establish, in conjunction with the Government of Canada, the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. for the purpose of constructing the St. Lawrence Seaway at the mutual expense and for the mutual use of Canada and the U.S.
83rd	68 Stat. 454-459	Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954	Jul 10, 1954	Provide for the sale of surplus U.S. agricultural commodities to friendly foreign nations
83rd	86 Stat. 497-510	Revised Organic Act of the Virgin Islands	Jul 22, 1954	Reorganize the local government of the Virgin Islands
83rd	68 Stat. 590-648	Housing Act of 1954	Aug 2, 1954	Authorize the construction of public housing units to serve families displaced by urban development, and revise various housing assistance programs
83rd	68A Stat. 1-928	Internal Revenue Code of 1954	Aug 16, 1954	Revise tax treatment of individuals and businesses
83rd	68 Stat. 775-780	Communist Control Act of 1954	Aug 24, 1954	Outlaw the Communist party in the U.S and prohibit members of Communist organizations from serving in certain representative capacities
83rd	68 Stat. 919-961	Atomic Energy Act of 1954	Aug 30, 1954	Establish incentives to promote private ownership and development of atomic power, and authorize U.S. cooperation with friendly nations in development of peaceful uses of atomic power
84TH CONGRESS (JAN 5, 1955 - JUL 27, 1956): ADMINISTRATION OF DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
84th	69 Stat. 7	Formosa and Pescadores Defense Act	Jan 29, 1955	Authorize the President to employ the Armed Forces of the U.S. to protect Formosa and the Pescadores from a possible Communist Chinese attack
84th	69 Stat. 711-712	Fair Labor Standards Act Amendments of 1955	Aug 12, 1955	Raise the minimum wage
84th	70 Stat. 105-111	Upper Colorado River Project	Apr 11, 1956	Authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to construct four major dams and 11 small irrigation projects
84th	70 Stat. 188-213	Agricultural Act of 1956	May 28, 1956	Establish a soil bank program to retire land from production to reduce agricultural surpluses, and pay farmers to reduce crop acreage for corn, wheat, peanuts, cotton, tobacco, and rice
84th	70 Stat. 374-402	Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956	Jun 29, 1956	Authorize construction of a 41,000-mile interstate superhighway
84th	70 Stat. 498-507	Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1956	Jul 9, 1956	Provide grants to States and localities for pollution control programs
85TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1957 - AUG 24, 1958): ADMINISTRATION OF DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
85th	71 Stat. 5-6	Middle East Resolution	Mar 9, 1957	Authorize the President to cooperate with and assist any nation or group of nations in the Middle East desiring assistance in developing economic and military strength dedicated to the maintenance of national independence and protection against armed aggression from a Communist-dominated country
85th	71 Stat. 453-456	International Atomic Energy Participation Act of 1957	Aug 28, 1957	Provide for the appointment of U.S. representatives in the subsidiary bodies of the International Atomic Energy Agency
85th	71 Stat. 634-638	Civil Rights Act of 1957	Sep 9, 1957	Create the Commission on Civil Rights, establish a Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice, and empower the Attorney General to seek court injunctions against obstruction and deprivation of voting rights
85th	72 Stat. 89-96	Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1958	Apr 16, 1958	Authorize funding for a Federal road-building program
85th	72 Stat. 238-241	Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Act	Jun 28, 1958	Establish the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission to study the current status and needs of outdoor recreation resources
85th	72 Stat. 339-352	Admission of the State of Alaska to the Union	Jul 7, 1958	Provide for the formal acceptance of the constitution of the State of Alaska
85th	72 Stat. 426-438	National Aeronautic and Space Act of 1958	Jul 29, 1958	Create a new civilian agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, direct scientific activities relating to all non-military aspects of outer space
86TH CONGRESS (JAN 7, 1959 - SEP 1, 1960): ADMINISTRATION OF DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
86th	73 Stat. 4-13	Admission of the State of Hawaii to the Union	Mar 18, 1959	Provide for the formal ratification of the Hawaii State constitution
86th	73 Stat. 519-546	Landrum-Griffin Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959	Sep 14, 1959	Provide a "Bill of Rights" for union members which includes a guarantee that they will have "equal rights and privileges" to nominate candidates, vote for union officials, participate in union meetings and caucus with other members under "reasonable rules and regulations" established by the union
86th	73 Stat. 708-717	Federal Employees Health Benefits Act of 1959	Sep 28, 1959	Establish a prepaid, voluntary health insurance plan for Federal employees and their families
86th	74 Stat. 86-92	Civil Rights Act of 1960	May 6, 1960	Authorize Judges to appoint referees empowered to assist persons experiencing opposition in the exercise of their right to vote, and provide criminal penalties for bombing, bomb-threats, and mob action designed to obstruct court orders
86th	74 Stat. 215	National Forests Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act	Jun 12, 1960	Establish a formal policy that the national forests should be administered under the principles of multiple use and sustained yield with the objective of developing five basic resources: outdoor recreation resources, range resources, timber resources, watershed resources, and fish and wildlife resources
87TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1961 - OCT 13, 1962): ADMINISTRATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
87th	75 Stat. 612-627	Peace Corps Act of 1961	Sep 22, 1961	Grant "permanent legislative authority" to the Peace Corps, established by executive authority in March 1961 to enlist young Americans as technological instructors and helpers in the less-developed countries
87th	75 Stat. 631-639	Arms Control and Disarmament Act	Sep 26, 1981	Establish an independent U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency to conduct research, prepare policy recommendations, conduct disarmament negotiations, and plan for establishment of inspection and control systems
87th	76 Stat. 23-33	Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962	Mar 15, 1962	Authorize a new Federal worker training program to help alleviate unemployment and increase the supply of skilled personnel in certain industries
87th	76 Stat. 172-208	Public Welfare Amendments of 1962	Jul 25, 1962	Broaden welfare aid to those people considered to be the most needy, while undertaking a campaign to reduce the need for aid through programs of rehabilitation, training, and self-care
87th	76 Stat. 255-263	Foreign Assistance Act of 1962	Aug 1, 1962	Prohibit aid to Communist nations, countries providing items of strategic value to Cuba, and countries which permit ships under their registry to carry economic aid to Cuba, unless the President determines, among other things, that such aid was vital to U.S. security
87th	76 Stat. 419-427	Communications Satellite Act of 1962	Aug 31, 1962	Authorize the President to establish the Communications Satellite Corporation as a private commercial communication system, and to arrange for an initial stock offering
87th	76 Stat. 541-544	Public Works Acceleration Act	Sep 14, 1962	Authorize acceleration of job-creating Federal and local public works projects in areas with long-term high unemployment
87th	76 Stat. 695-696	United Nations Loan	Oct 2, 1962	Authorize a loan to the UN, and provide that the U.S. should use every effort to promote a pattern of UN financing that would avoid future large-scale funding problems
88TH CONGRESS (JAN 9, 1963 - OCT 3, 1964): ADMINISTRATIONS OF JOHN F. KENNEDY AND LYNDON B. JOHNSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
88th	77 Stat. 56-57	Equal Pay Act of 1963	Jun 10, 1963	Provide that no employer subject to the Federal Labor Standards Act may discriminate on the basis of sex in payment of wages for jobs requiring equal skill, effort and responsibility
88th	78 Stat. 19-146	Revenue Act of 1964	Feb 26, 1964	Reduce individual and corporate tax rates
88th	78 Stat. 241-268	Civil Rights Act of 1964	Jul 2, 1964	Expand Federal powers to protect voting rights
88th	78 Stat. 302-308	Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964	Jul 9, 1964	Authorize the Housing and Home Finance Agency to make grants and loans to States and localities for acquiring, constructing and improving facilities and equipment for mass transportation systems owned, operated, leased, or otherwise used by a public transportation authority
88th	78 Stat. 384	Tonkin Gulf Resolution	Aug 10, 1964	Declare support for "the determination of the President, as Commander-in-Chief, to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression in Vietnam"
88th	78 Stat. 400-435	Government Employees Salary Reform Act of 1964	Aug 14, 1964	Authorize salary increases for Federal employees in legislative, executive, and judicial branches
88th	78 Stat. 508-534	Economic Opportunity Act of 1964	Aug 20, 1964	Authorize Office of Economic Opportunity programs to address the multiple causes of poverty, including illiteracy, unemployment and lack of public services
88th	78 Stat. 703-709	Food Stamp Act of 1964	Aug 31, 1964	Establish the food stamp program to provide food assistance to low-income families
88th	78 Stat. 890-896	Wilderness Act of 1964	Sep 3, 1964	Establish a National Wilderness Preservation System for land, water, mineral, and wildlife conservation purposes
89TH CONGRESS (JAN 4, 1965 - OCT 22, 1966): ADMINISTRATION OF LYNDON B. JOHNSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
89th	79 Stat. 5-23	Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965	Mar 9, 1965	Authorize development of the economically depressed 12-State Appalachian region
89th	79 Stat. 27-58	Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965	Apr 11, 1965	Authorize elementary and secondary school assistance programs
89th	79 Stat. 218-226	Older Americans Act	Jul 14, 1965	Authorize grant programs to assist the elderly and establish the Administration on Aging within the Department of Health, Education and Welfare
89th	79 Stat. 226-236	Drug Abuse Control Amendments of 1965	July15, 1965	Expand Federal control over depressant and stimulant drugs to reduce illegal distribution and use of barbiturates and drugs affecting the central nervous system or producing hallucinogenic effects
89th	79 Stat. 136-170	Excise Tax Reduction Act of 1965	Jun 21, 1965	Repeal various excise taxes
89th	79 Stat. 286-343; 79 Stat. 343-353	Social Security Amendments of 1965 (Medicare for the Aged and Medicaid for the Medically Needy)	Jul 30, 1965	Establish a hospital insurance program for the elderly, and a medical care program for the indigent
89th	79 Stat. 437-446	Voting Rights Act of 1965	Aug 6, 1965	Provide for direct Federal action to enable black Americans to register and vote, prohibit the use of literacy tests or similar voter qualification devices, and establish criminal penalties for interference with voter rights
89th	79 Stat. 451-509	Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965	Aug 10, 1965	Authorize various housing and urban development programs, provide rent supplements for low-income families, and provide grants to localities for urban beautification and improvement programs
89th	79 Stat. 580-581	President and Vice President Assassination Penalties	Aug 28, 1965	Establish Federal criminal penalties for killing, kidnapping or assaulting the President or any other Federal official
89th	79 Stat. 667-671	Department of Housing and Urban Development Act	Sep 9 1965	Establish a Cabinet level Department of Housing and Urban Development
89th	79 Stat. 845-855	National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965	Sep 29, 1965	Establish a National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities consisting of two autonomous subdivisions, a National Endowment for the Arts and a National Endowment for the Humanities
89th	79 Stat. 893-895	High-Speed Ground Transportation Act	Sep 30, 1965	Authorize the Department of Commerce to undertake research, development, and demonstration programs for high-speed ground transportation
89th	79 Stat. 903-910	Water Quality Act of 1965	Oct 2, 1965	Require the States to establish and enforce water quality standards for all interstate waters within their boundaries and establish a Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
89th	79 Stat. 1028-1033	Highway Beautification Act of 1965	Oct 22, 1965	Authorize a new program for the scenic development and beautification of the Federal-aid highway system
89th	79 Stat. 1219-1270	Higher Education Act of 1965	Nov 8, 1965	Authorize college aid programs for poor and middle-class students, and establish the National Teachers Corps to improve elementary and secondary education in urban and rural areas
89th	80 Stat. 250-251	Freedom of Information Act	Jul 4, 1966	Require Federal Government to make available to citizens, upon request, all documents and records except those exempted for various reasons, including national security
89th	80 Stat. 731-737	Highway Safety Act of 1966	Sep 9, 1966	Require that each State establish a highway safety program in accordance with uniform government standards
89th	80 Stat. 830-845	Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1966	Sep 23, 1966	Broaden Federal minimum wage and overtime pay protection and increase the minimum wage
89th	80 Stat. 926-930	National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act	Oct 15, 1966	Direct the Department of Interior to take actions to protect endangered species of fish and wildlife
89th	80 Stat. 931-950	Department of Transportation Act	Oct 15, 1966	Establish the Department of Transportation as a Cabinet level department
90TH CONGRESS (JAN 10, 1967 - OCT 14, 1968): ADMINISTRATION OF LYNDON B. JOHNSON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
90th	81 Stat. 365-373	Public Broadcasting Act of 1967	Nov 7, 1967	Establish a public corporation to provide financial assistance for noncommercial educational television and radio broadcasting
90th	81 Stat. 445-463	Foreign Assistance Act of 1967	Nov 14, 1967	Reduce foreign aid, restrict the President's authority to conduct foreign policy, and prohibit all aid to countries which trade with North Vietnam
90th	81 Stat. 485-507	Air Quality Control Act of 1967	Nov 21, 1967	Expand Federal responsibility for air pollution control, provide for the establishment of Federal interstate air quality planning agencies, and establish the President's Air Quality Advisory Board
90th	81 Stat. 613-648	Postal Revenue and Federal Salary Act of 1967	Dec 16, 1967	Increase postal rates on all classes of mail, increase Federal employee salaries, and provide for automatic future pay increases for Federal employees
90th	81 Stat. 649-655	Military Pay Bill of 1967	Dec 16, 1967	Increase the monthly pay of servicemen
90th	82 Stat. 73-92	Civil Rights Act of 1968	Apr 11, 1968	Prohibit discrimination in the sale or rental housing; and provide criminal penalties for injuring or interfering with an individual's right to vote, to serve on a jury, to participate in government and government-aided programs, to work, to attend school, and to enjoy public accommodations
90th	82 Stat. 146-167	Consumer Credit Protection Act (Truth in Lending Act)	May 29, 1968	Require that buyers be told the cost of loans and installment purchase plans in terms of annual rate calculated under certain specified procedures, and the total cost in dollars; and establish a National Commission on Consumer Finance
90th	82 Stat. 197-239	Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968	Jun 19, 1968	Establish the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration within the Justice Department to administer grant programs for training, education, research, and demonstration projects; and authorize law enforcement assistance grants
90th	82 Stat. 251-274	Revenue and Expenditures Control Act of 1968	Jun 28, 1968	Impose a 10 percent surcharge on personal and corporate income taxes
90th	82 Stat. 297-306	Vocational Rehabilitation Amendments of 1968	Jul 7, 1968	Enlarge the scope of vocational education to permit assistance to disadvantaged, as well as physically and mentally handicapped persons
90th	82 Stat. 462-474	Juvenile Delinquency Prevention and Control Act	Jul 31, 1968	Authorize block grants for prevention of juvenile delinquency and rehabilitation of young offenders
90th	82 Stat. 837-842	Virgin Island Elective Governor Act	Aug 23, 1968	Provide for the popular election of the governor and lieutenant governor of the Virgin Islands
90th	82 Stat. 842-843	Guam Elective Governor Act	Sep 11, 1968	Provide for the popular election of the governor and lieutenant governor of Guam
90th	82 Stat. 885-901	Colorado River Basin Project Act	Sep 30, 1968	Authorize the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Central Arizona Project and related water projects on the Colorado River
90th	82 Stat. 906-918	Wild and Scenic Rivers Act	Oct 2, 1968	Establish a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System to preserve outstanding stretches of rivers from incompatible water resource development, pollution, or commercialization
90th	82 Stat. 919-926	National Trails System Act	Oct 2, 1968	Establish a nationwide system of scenic trails, recreational trails, and side trails
90th	82 Stat. 1213-1236	Gun Control Act of 1968	Oct 22, 1968	Ban most interstate shipments of long guns to individuals; prohibit individuals with few exceptions from buying guns except in their own States; prohibit sale of rifles, shotguns or ammunition to persons under 18; prohibit sales of handguns or handgun ammunition to persons under 21 years of age; and prohibit importation of foreign-made military surplus firearms
91ST CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1969 - JAN 2, 1971): ADMINISTRATIONS OF LYNDON B. JOHNSON AND RICHARD M. NIXON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
91st	83 Stat. 187-190	Child Protection and Toy Safety Act of 1969	Nov 6, 1969	Provide a one-step regulation process for prohibiting the sale of children's articles and toys which present electrical, mechanical, or thermal hazards
91st	83 Stat. 487-742	Tax Reform Act of 1969	Dec 30, 1969	Revise personal and corporate income tax system
91st	83 Stat. 852-856	National Environmental Policy Act of 1969	Jan 1, 1970	Establish Council on Environmental Quality
91st	84 Stat. 91-115	Federal Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970	Apr 3, 1970	Establish procedures and liability for clean-up of oil spills, place new controls on vessel discharge of sewage, strengthen restrictions on thermal pollution from nuclear power plants, order development of criteria covering the effect of pesticides in streams, rivers, and other waters, and establish an Office of Environmental Quality
91st	84 Stat. 219-253	Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970	May 21, 1970	Provide aid for aviation facilities, and authorize a new program for expansion of airport and airway systems
91st	84 Stat. 466-467	Newspaper Preservation Act	Jul 24, 1970	Exempt from antitrust laws certain combinations and arrangements necessary for the survival of failing newspapers
91st	84 Stat. 719-787	Postal Reorganization Act	Aug 12, 1970	Reorganize the Post Office Department and the U.S. Postal Service into an independent agency, the U.S. Postal Service
91st	84 Stat. 922-962	Organized Crime Control Act	Oct 15, 1970	Strengthen tools to facilitate law enforcement involving organized crime
91st	84 Stat. 1140-1204	Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970	Oct 26, 1970	Revise Senate and House committee procedures, and re-designate Legislative Reference Service as Congressional Research Service and redefine its duties
91st	84 Stat. 1236-1296	Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970	Oct 27, 1970	Expand programs for drug abuse rehabilitation, treatment and education, and unify and revise Federal narcotics laws
91st	84 Stat. 1327-1342	Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970	Oct 30, 1970	Provide financial assistance for establishment of the National Railroad Passenger Corp. as a semipublic corporation
91st	84 Stat. 1358-1384	Agriculture Act of 1970	Nov 30, 1970	Establish price support programs for dairy products, wool, wheat, feed grains and cotton
91st	84 Stat. 1590-1620	Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970	Dec 29, 1970	Provide Department of Labor with authority to set and enforce safety standards for the protection of workers
91st	84 Stat. 1636-1657	Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970	Dec 30, 1970	Establish a private nonprofit Securities Investor Protection Corp. to oversee activities of registered brokers and dealers and members of national securities exchanges, and create an insurance fund to protect investors against certain losses when brokers become insolvent
91st	84 Stat. 1676-1713	Clean Air Amendments of 1970	Dec 31, 1970	Establish specific deadlines for 90 percent reduction of certain pollutants from new automobiles, provide for new research programs, establish national air quality standards, fuel limitations, and standards for new stationary sources of pollution
91st	84 Stat. 2086-2089	Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970	Dec 2, 1970	Consolidate all major programs to combat pollution in a single independent Environmental Protection Agency
91st	84 Stat. 2090-2093	Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970	Oct 3, 1970	Create a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the Commerce Department
92ND CONGRESS (JAN 21, 1971 - OCT 18, 1962): ADMINISTRATION OF RICHARD M. NIXON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
92nd	85 Stat. 178-182	Emergency Loan Guarantee Act	Aug 9, 1971	Authorize a Federal guarantee of up to $250 million in bank loans for the Lockheed Aircraft Corp.
92nd	85 Stat. 688	Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act	Dec 18, 1971	Settle aboriginal claims of Alaskan Indians, Aleut, and Eskimo populations
92nd	85 Stat. 743-755	Economic Stabilization Act Amendments of 1971	Dec 22, 1971	Extend the President's authority to control wages, salaries, prices, and rents, and broaden the President's stabilization powers to include control of interest rates, finance charges, and corporate dividends
92nd	86 Stat. 3-20	Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971	Feb 7, 1972	Place a ceiling on the amount of money a candidate for President, Vice President, the House, or the Senate may spend for radio and television time and other forms of political advertising, and require full disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures; and restrict candidates to a maximum of 10 cents per eligible voter, or $50,000, whichever is greater, for all forms of media advertising
92nd	86 Stat. 1052-1063	Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972	Oct 23, 1972	Ban unregulated dumping of waste materials into the oceans and coastal waters, and ban ocean dumping under any circumstances of radiological, chemical or biological warfare agents or high-level radioactive water
92nd	80 Stat. 1207-1233	Consumer Product Safety Act	Oct 27, 1972	Create an independent Consumer Product Safety Commission authorized to set standards for a wide variety of consumer products
92nd	86 Stat. 1234-1250	Noise Control Act of 1972	Oct 27, 1972	Authorize the Federal Government to set standards limiting certain commercial sources of noise
92nd	86 Stat. 1280-1289	Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972	Oct 27, 1972	Establish a national program for the management and protection of U.S. coastal waters and adjacent shoreline
93RD CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1973 - DEC 20, 1974): ADMINISTRATIONS OF RICHARD M. NIXON AND GERALD R. FORD
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
93rd	87 Stat. 555-560	War Powers Resolution	Nov 7, 1973	Limit the President's powers to commit U.S. forces abroad without congressional approval
93rd	87 Stat. 584-588	Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act	Nov 16, 1973	Direct the Department of Interior to authorize the construction of a 789-mile pipeline connecting the North Shore of Alaska with the port of Valdes
93rd	87 Stat. 884-903	Endangered Species Act of 1973	Dec 28, 1973	Extend Federal authority to species "threatened" with extinction, in addition to those in immediate danger of becoming extinct
93rd	88 Stat. 55-76	Fair Labor Standard Amendments of 1974	Apr 8, 1974	Increase the hourly minimum wage
93rd	88 Stat. 297-339	Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974	Jul 12, 1974	Establish House and Senate Budget Committees to study the President's budget and recommend changes in fiscal policy and spending priorities, create a Congressional Budget Office to assist the Budget Committees in studying budget information; and define procedures to provide for more congressional control over the impoundment of funds by the executive branch
93rd	88 Stat. 378-390	Legal Services Corporation Act of 1974	Jul 25, 1974	Transfer the legal services program from the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) to an independent Legal Services Corp., authorized to provide legal assistance to the poor in non-criminal proceedings
93rd	88 Stat. 829-1035	Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974	Sep 2, 1974	Establish minimum Federal standards for private pension plans
93rd	88 Stat. 1233-1254	Energy Reorganization Act of 1974	Oct 11, 1974	Create a new Energy Research and Development Administration to direct Federal research into the better use of existing fuels and the development of new sources of energy
93rd	88 Stat. 1845-1855	Emergency Jobs and Unemployment Assistance Act of 1974	Dec 31, 1974	Establish an emergency program of public service jobs in State and local governments and provide unemployment insurance coverage to nearly 12 million persons not otherwise eligible
93rd	88 Stat. 1869-1872	Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 1974	Dec 31, 1974	Authorize an extra 13 weeks of unemployment compensation for workers who exhaust their unemployment benefits
93rd	88 Stat. 1978-2076	Trade Act of 1974	Jan 3, 1975	Provide the President with broad authority to enter into trade agreements with other countries for the purpose of harmonizing, reducing or eliminating tariff and non-tariff trade barriers
94TH CONGRESS (JAN 14, 1975 - OCT 1, 1976): ADMINISTRATION OF GERALD R. FORD
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
94th	89 Stat. 26-67	Tax Reduction Act of 1975	Mar 29, 1975	Reduce individual and corporate taxes
94th	89 Stat. 89	Cambodian and Vietnamese Refugees Special Assistance Appropriation	May 23, 1975	Appropriated funds for the resettlement of refugees from Cambodia and Vietnam
94th	89 Stat. 773-796	Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975	Nov 29, 1975	Require States to provide a free, adequate education to all handicapped children
94th	89 Stat. 871-969	Energy Policy and Conservation Act	Dec 22, 1975	Establish a national energy policy designed to maximize domestic production of energy and provide for strategic storage reserves of oil and petroleum products; minimize the impact of disruptions in energy supplies by providing for emergency standby measures; provide for a level of domestic oil prices which would both encourage production and not impede economic recovery; and reduce domestic energy consumption through voluntary and mandatory energy conservation plans.
94th	89 Stat. 1007-1012	Metric Conversion Act of 1975	Dec 23, 1975	Establish a national policy of U.S. metric conversion and a 17-member U.S. Metric Conversion Board to assist and coordinate the voluntary conversion to the metric system of weights and measurement in the U.S.
94th	90 Stat. 251-255	Equal Credit Opportunity Act Amendments of 1976	Mar 23, 1976	Prohibit credit discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion or national origin
94th	90 Stat. 263-279	Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union with the U.S.	Mar 24, 1976	Grant commonwealth status to the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific
94th	90 Stat. 331-361	Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976	Apr 13, 1976	Extend existing 12-mile exclusive U.S. fishing zone off the Nation's coasts to 200 miles
94th	90 Stat. 459-473	National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976	May 11, 1976	Establish an Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President
94th	90 Stat. 729-769	International Security Assistance and Arms Export Control Act of 1976	Jun 30, 1976	Authorize congressional oversight of commercial sales of major U.S. military weapons and equipment abroad
94th	90 Stat. 1013-1033	Coastal Zone Management Act Amendments of 1976	Jul 26, 1976	Authorize Federal aid to coastal cities, to assist them in dealing with the effects of offshore gas and oil development
94th	90 Stat. 1125-1169	Energy Conservation and Production Act	Aug 14, 1976	Establish energy conservation standards for new buildings, a low-income family weatherization program, a loan guarantee program for commercial and industrial buildings, and a financial incentive experimentation program for existing residential buildings
94th	90 Stat. 1241-1248	Government in the Sunshine Act	Sep 13, 1976	Open the meetings of collegial or multi-member Government agencies to public scrutiny "where such deliberations determine or result in the joint conduct or disposition of official agency business"
94th	90 Stat. 1520-1933.	Tax Reform Act of 1976	Oct 4, 1976	Revise various tax laws
94th	90 Stat. 2541-2602	Copyright Law Revision of 1976	Oct 19, 1976	Provide for a general revision of copyright law
94th	90 Stat. 2662-2666	Payment in Lieu of Taxes Act	Oct 20, 1976	Provide for annual Federal payments to local governments to compensate for tax revenues lost because of tax-exempt Federal lands within their boundaries
94th	90 Stat. 2949-2963	National Forest Management Act of 1976	Oct 22, 1976	Give congressional sanction to the practice of clear-cutting in national forests under Federal guidelines and revise Federal forest management policy
95TH CONGRESS (JAN 4, 1977 - OCT 15, 1978): ADMINISTRATIONS OF GERALD R. FORD AND JAMES E. CARTER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
95th	91 Stat. 126-168	Tax Reduction and Simplification Act of 1977	May 23, 1977	Revise various tax laws
95th	91 Stat. 445-532	Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977	Aug 3, 1977	Establish an Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement within the Interior Department
95th	91 Stat. 565-613	Department of Energy Organization Act	Aug 4, 1977	Establish a Cabinet level Department of Energy and transfer all the functions of the Federal Energy Administration, the Energy Research and Development Administration, and the Federal Power Commission to the new department
95th	91 Stat. 1223-1225	Indochinese Refugees. Permanent Residence Status, Adjustment and Refugee Assistance Extension	Oct 28, 1977	Provide an opportunity for Indochinese refugees who fled to the U.S. after the Communist takeover of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and resided here for two years to apply for permanent resident alien status, the prelude to naturalized citizenship
95th	91 Stat. 1245-1253	Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1977	Nov 1, 1977	Raise the Federal minimum wage rate
95th	92 Stat. 189-193	Age Discrimination in Employment Act Amendments of 1978	Apr 6, 1978	Raise the permissible mandatory retirement age for most non-Federal workers from 65 to 70
95th	92 Stat. 819-842	Federal Pesticide Act of 1978	Sep 30, 1978	Authorize Environmental Protection Agency to simplify registration of pesticides, and provide the public with access to information about the effect of a pesticide on human health and environment
95th	92 Stat. 1111-1227	Civil Service Reform Act of 1978	Oct 13, 1978	Reorganize the Civil Service Commission to create a Senior Executive Service for top Federal employees, a merit pay system for middle-level management, increased management flexibility in firing incompetent employees, and statutory labor rights for Federal workers
95th	92 Stat. 1471-1493	Port and Tanker Safety Act of 1978	Oct 17, 1978	Authorize the Secretary of Transportation to require each vessel operating in U.S. waters to have a federally licensed pilot, and bar vessels carrying oil or other hazardous material from operating in U.S. waters or transferring cargo in any U.S port unless they meet certain requirements
95th	92 Stat. 1685-1692	Agricultural Trade Act of 1978	Oct 21, 1978	Authorize Department of Agriculture to establish U.S. Agricultural Trade Offices abroad with the sole responsibility of expanding the export of U.S. commodities, and to establish a new restricted immediate-term credit program to facilitate increased exports of U.S. agricultural commodities
95th	92 Stat. 1696-1702	Inland Waterways Revenue Act of 1978	Oct 21, 1980	Levy a diesel fuel charge on freight traffic along the U.S. navigable inland waterway system
95th	92 Stat. 1705-1754	Airline Deregulation Act of 1978	Oct 24, 1978	Establish procedures to encourage, develop, and attain an air transportation system that relies on competitive market forces
95th	92 Stat. 1824-1885	Ethics in Government Act of 1978	Oct 26, 1978	Codify financial disclosure provisions of new ethic codes adopted by the House and the Senate, and apply the same disclosure requirements to the President, Vice President, Supreme Court justices and top-level employees of both the executive and judicial branch
95th	92 Stat. 1887-1908	Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978	Oct 27, 1978	Declare a national policy of promoting full employment, increased real income, balanced growth, a balanced budget, growth in productivity, an improved balance of trade, and price stability; and provide for coordination of economic policy-making to promote the goals of reducing inflation and unemployment
95th	92 Stat. 2076-2077	Pregnancy, Sex Discrimination Prohibition Act of 1978	Oct 31, 1978	Prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and require disability and health insurance plans to cover pregnant workers
95th	92 Stat. 2078-2079	Nonvoting Delegate to the House of Representative from American Samoa	Oct 31, 1978	Provide for the election of a nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives from American Samoa
95th	92 Stat. 2497-2511	Veterans' and Survivors' Pension Improvement Act	Nov 4, 1978	Provide a 50 percent increase in the maximum pension paid indigent war veterans who were not disabled as a result of military service, guarantee veterans a minimum annual income, and establish a new program of improved pension benefits for needy surviving spouses of wartime veterans
95th	92 Stat. 2523-2528	Presidential Records Act of 1978	Nov 4, 1978	Provide that most Presidential records become public property at the end of the President's term in office
95th	92 Stat. 3117-3173	Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978	Nov 9, 1978	Require State utility commissions and other regulatory agencies to consider the use of energy-saving methods, such as pricing electricity lower in off-peak hours to avoid heavy loads in the middle of the day and to discontinue discounts for large volume users
95th	92 Stat. 3174-3205	Energy Tax Act of 1978	Nov 9, 1978	Establish tax credits for homeowner expenditures related to installation of insulation and other energy-conserving improvements; establish an investment tax credit available to businesses installing specific types of energy conservation equipment; and establish tax incentives for companies producing synthetic fuels from coal or other resources
95th	92 Stat. 3289-3349	Power Plant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978	Nov 9, 1978	Require that new industrial and utility plants be built to use coal or a fuel other than oil or gas, and that existing utility plants using oil or gas convert to other fuels by 1990
96TH CONGRESS (JAN 15, 1979 - DEC 16, 1980): ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES E. CARTER
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
96th	93 Stat. 14-21	Taiwan Relations Act	Apr 10, 1979	Pledge continued arm sales to the Taiwan Government and provide that the U.S. will take action in the event of an attack on Taiwan
96th	93 Stat. 144-317	Trade Agreements Act of 1979	Jul 26, 1979	Establish a new, detailed, and substantially faster procedure for resolving complaints considered under U.S. countervailing duty law, which was designed to protect domestic industry against foreign Government subsidies on imported goods
96th	93 Stat. 452-500	Panama Canal Act of 1979	Sep 27, 1979	Establish the Panama Canal Commission to operate and maintain the Panama Canal through 1999, when Panama would assume complete control of the waterway
96th	93 Stat. 668-696	Education Organization Act	Oct 17, 1979	Consolidate 152 education-related programs in a new Cabinet level Department of Education
96th	93 Stat. 695	Department of Health. Education, and Welfare Redesignation as the Department of Health and Human Services	Oct 17, 1979	Provide that all references to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in any law, rule, regulation, certificate, directive, instruction, or other official paper in force be deemed to refer and apply to the Department of Health and Human Services, except to the extent such functions were transferred to the Department of Education
96th	93 Stat. 89-93	International Security Assistance Act of 1979	Jul 20, 1979	Authorize the President to provide Israel with military aid and Egypt with military and economic aid
96th	96 Stat. 954-980	Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1980 (Appropriations for Synthetic Fuel Programs)	Nov 7, 1979	Create the Energy Security Reserve to expedite domestic development and production of alternative fuels to reduce dependence on foreign supplies of energy resources
96th	93 Stat. 1291-1294	Meat Import Act of 1979	Dec 31, 1979	Provide for a counter-cyclical formula for meat imports, permitting them to increase when domestic supplies are low and prices relatively high, and to increase when domestic supplies are plentiful and prices relatively lower
96th	93 Stat. 1324-1337	Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee Act of 1979	Jan 7, 1980	Establish a loan guarantee board to administer loan guarantees to the Chrysler Corp.
96th	94 Stat. 102-118	Refugee Act of 1980	Mar 17, 1980	Establish new procedures for admitting and resettling refugees, and create the Office of U.S. Coordinator for Refugee Affairs
96th	94 Stat. 132-193	Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980	Mar 31, 1980	Enact as separate titles the Monetary Control Act of 1980, the Depository Institutions Deregulation Act of 1980, and the Consumer Checking Account Equity Act of 1980, as well as provisions relating to the powers of thrift institutions, State usury laws, truth in lending, and foreign control of U.S financial institutions
96th	94 Stat. 229-308	Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act of 1980	Apr 2, 1980	Levy a tax on "windfall profits" received by U.S. oil companies as a result of President Carter's April 1979 decision to end gradually oil price controls
96th	96 Stat. 336-337	International Sugar Agreement 1977 Implementation	Apr 22, 1980	Authorize the U.S. to become a fully participating member of the International Sugar Agreement which was designed to stabilize world sugar prices by establishing a system of export quotas and stockpiles among the fifty sugar exporting and importing member nations
96th	94 Stat. 422-424	Special Central American Assistance Act of 1980	May 31, 1980	Authorize assistance under the Economic Support Fund for the Central American countries of Nicaragua and Honduras
96th	94 Stat. 487-498	Asbestos School Hazard Detection and Control Act of 1980	Jun 14, 1980	Establish a program for the inspection of schools to detect the presence of hazardous asbestos materials; and authorize grants to help schools find potentially dangerous asbestos, and interest-free loans to help them cover it up or replace with other suitable building materials
96th	94 Stat. 500-535	Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980	Jun 17, 1980	Establish an adoption assistance program for children with "special needs" who were eligible for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, AFDC foster care program, or social security
96th	94 Stat. 611-779	Energy Security Act	Jun 30, 1980	Establish a Synthetic Fuels Corp. to provide loan guarantees, purchase guarantees, and guaranteed prices to develop synthetic fuels
96th	94 Stat. 941-946	Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Research, Development, and Demonstration Act	Jul 17, 1980	Provide for an accelerated research and development program by the Department of Energy to achieve early application of ocean thermal energy conversion systems
96th	94 Stat. 974-1000	Ocean Thermal Energy Conservation Act of 1980	Aug 3, 1980	Establish legal framework to govern the operation of ocean thermal energy conversion plants on the high seas, and provide that licenses and permits be handled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
96th	94 Stat. 1139-1147	Wind Energy Systems Act of 1980	Sep 8, 1980	Authorize programs to accelerate the development of wind energy systems
96th	94 Stat. 1198-1206	National Aquaculture Act of 1980	Sep 26, 1980	Establish programs to facilitate the development of aquaculture
96th	94 Stat. 1208-1311	Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980	Sep 26, 1980	Strengthen funding requirements for private multiemployer pension plans and revise pension plan termination rules in order to strengthen retiree income security
96th	94 Stat. 1564-1613	Mental Health Services Act	Oct 7, 1980	Revise Federal mental health assistance programs to target the bulk of Federal aid to the elderly, severely disturbed children and adolescents, and the chronically mentally ill
96th	94 Stat. 1879-1883	Privacy Protection Act of 1980	Oct 13, 1980	Restrict ability of Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers from using warrants to search newsrooms and other organizations engaged in First Amendment activities
96th	94 Stat. 1895-1966	Staggers Rail Act of 198	Oct 14, 1980	Establish a national policy aimed at minimizing regulation of the Nation's railroads and, to the extent possible, allowing competition and the demand for services to establish railroad rates
96th	94 Stat. 2071-2170	Foreign Service Act of 1980	Oct 17, 1980	Reorganize and consolidate the various components of the Foreign Service to create more uniform statutory terms and conditions of Foreign Service employment
96th	94 Stat. 2311-2320	Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980	Oct 21, 1980	Authorize appropriations for programs to improve the Nation's industrial technology
96th	94 Stat. 2371-2551	Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act	Dec 2, 1980	Establish Alaska conservation units that impose varying degrees of restrictions on the exploration of oil and timber, and set aside lands for national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas
96th	94 Stat. 2767-2811	Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980	Dec 11, 1980	Establish an emergency "superfund", to clean up toxic contaminants spilled or dumped into the environment
96th	94 Stat. 2812-2826	Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980	Dec 11, 1980	Establish policies to reduce paperwork and enhance the economy and efficiency of the Federal Government and the private sector
96th	94 Stat. 3015-3029	Patent and Trademark Laws, Amendments	Dec 12, 1980	Revise patent and trademark laws relating to federally funded inventions and simplify procedures for handling certain patent disputes
97TH CONGRESS (JAN 15, 1981 - DEC 23, 1982): ADMINISTRATIONS OF JAMES E. CARTER AND RONALD W. REAGAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
97th	96 Stat. 1469-1548	Garn-St. Germaine Depository Institutions Act of 1982	Oct 15, 1982	Revise regulation of home mortgage lending institutions to strengthen lending institution stability and ensure the continuing availability of home mortgage loans
97th	96 Stat. 2201-2263	Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982	Jan 7, 1983	Establishes a Department of Energy program for construction of permanent repositories generated by nonmilitary nuclear activities
98TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1983 - OCT 12, 1984): ADMINISTRATIONS OF RONALD W. REAGAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
98th	98 Stat. 67-91	Shipping Act of 1984	Mar 20, 1984	Exempt from antitrust laws certain agreements of conferences among ocean common carriers and marine terminal operators
98th	98 Stat. 204-206	Child Protection Act of 1984	May 21, 1984	Increases penalties and clarifies punishable offenses to expand law enforcement response to sexual exploitation of children
98th	98 Stat. 333-392	Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984	Jul 10, 1984	Revise bankruptcy laws and establish additional circuit and district judgeships
98th	98 Stat. 494-1210	Deficit Reduction Act of 1984 (including the Tax Reform Act of 1984 and the Spending Reduction Act of 1984)	Jul 18, 1984	Revise Federal income, excise, estate, and gift tax laws; and provide for various spending reduction in order to reduce the budget deficit
98th	98 Stat. 1267-1304	Education for Economic Security Act	Aug 11, 1984	Establish programs to improve elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education in mathematics and science
98th	98 Stat. 2725-2734	Veterans’ Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act	Oct 24, 1984	Require Veterans Affairs Administration to prescribe regulations to determine service connection of certain disabilities of veterans who were exposed to dioxin while serving in U.S. military forces in Vietnam
98th	98 Stat. 2779-2806	Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984	Oct 30, 1984	Provide for Federal, State, and local regulation of cable TV
99TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1985 - OCT 18, 1986): ADMINISTRATION OF RONALD W. REAGAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
99th	99 Stat. 1770-1841	Compact of Free Association Act of 1985	Jan 14, 1986	Approve the Compact of Free Association providing for new political arrangements between the U.S. and the Federal states of Micronesia and the U.S. and between the Republic of the Marshall Islands
99th	100 Stat. 853-901	Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986	Aug 27, 1986	Restructure Department of State security program for diplomatic missions abroad and foreign missions in the U.S., and establishes various programs to prevent or combat international terrorism
99th	100 Stat. 1086-1116	Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986	Oct 2, 1986	Restrict various financial interactions with South Africa with the policy objective of bringing an end to apartheid
99th	100 Stat. 2085-2963	Tax Reform Act of 1986	Oct 22, 1986	Provide for comprehensive revision of the individual and corporate income tax system
100TH CONGRESS (JAN 6, 1987 - OCT 22, 1988): ADMINISTRATION OF RONALD W. REAGAN
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
100th	102 Stat. 1107-1574	Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988	Aug 23, 1988	Establish various programs and policies to improve U.S. trade international competitiveness
100th	102 Stat. 1851	U.S.-Canada Free-Trade Agreement Implementation Act of 1988	Sep 28, 1988	Provides approval and establishes conditions for a free trade agreement with Canada
100th	102 Stat. 2623-2634	Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Act	Oct 24, 1988	Establish procedures and funding to facilitate Department of Defense closure of military installations based on recommendations of the Commission on Base Realignment and Closure
100th	102 Stat. 4181-4545	Anti-Drug Abuse Act	Nov 18, 1988	Establish policies and programs to prevent manufacturing, distribution, and use of illegal drugs
101ST CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1989 - OCT 28, 1990): ADMINISTRATIONS OF RONALD W. REAGAN AND GEORGE H. W. BUSH
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
101st	103 Stat. 157-159	Natural Gas Wellhead Decontrol Act of 1989	Jul 26, 1989	Eliminate wellhead prove and non-price controls on the first sale of natural gas
101st	103 Stat. 183-553	Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989	Aug 9, 1989	Revise regulation of Federal deposit insurance system and provide for resolution of failed and failing federally insured savings and loan association
101st	103 Stat. 1716-1783	Ethics Reform Act of 1989	Nov 30, 1989	Provide for Government-wide ethics reform
101st	103 Stat. 484-575	Oil Pollution Act of 1990	Aug 18, 1990	Establish limitations on liability for damages resulting from oil pollution and establish a fund for the payment of compensation for damages
101st	104 Stat. 920-926	Radiation Exposure Compensation Act	Oct 15, 1990	Establish procedures for claims for injuries due to exposure to radiation from nuclear testing
101st	104 Stat. 963-977	Market Reform Act of 1990	Oct 16, 1990	Strengthen regulation of U.S. securities markets
101st	104 Stat. 2353-2367	Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990	Nov 8, 1990	Require nutritional content labeling for foods
101st	104 Stat. 2399-2712	Clean Air Act Amendments	Nov 15, 1990	Provide for attainment of national ambient air quality standards
101st	104 Stat. 4079-4425	Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act	Nov 28, 1990	Authorize home ownership and other affordable housing programs
102ND CONGRESS (JAN 3, 1991 - OCT 9, 1992): ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE H. W. BUSH
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
102nd	105 Stat. 3-4	Authorization for Use of Military Fore Against Iraq Resolution	Jan 14, 1991	Authorize the President to use U.S. military forces to implement UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait
102nd	105 Stat. 1594-1604	High-Performance Computing Act of 1991	Dec 9, 1991	Provide for a coordinated program to ensure U.S. leadership in high-performance computing
102nd	106 Stat. 2776-3133	Energy Policy Act of 1992	Oct 24, 1992	Establish programs and policies to improve energy efficiency
102nd	106 Stat. 3320-3362	Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets support Act of 1992 (FREEDOM Support Act)	Oct 24, 1992	Establish programs and policies to support freedom and open markets in the independent states of the former Soviet Union
103RD CONGRESS (JAN 5, 1993 - DEC 1, 1994): ADMINISTRATIONS OF GEORGE H. W. BUSH AND WILLIAM J. CLINTON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
103rd	107 Stat. 6-29	Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993	Feb 5, 1993	Entitle eligible private sector and government employees to up to 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave for a serious health condition, childbirth, adoption or care of seriously ill children, spouses, or parents
103rd	107 Stat. 1309-1311	Middle East peace Facilitation Act of 1993	Oct 28, 1993	Authorize the President to suspend restrictions regarding the Palestine Liberation Organization
103rd	107 Stat. 1536-1546	Handgun Control, Multiple Firearm Purchases, and Federal Firearms License Reform, including the Brady handgun Violence Prevention Act	Nov 30, 1993	Provide for a waiting period before the purchase of a handgun and for the establishment of a national instant criminal background check system for firearm transfers
103rd	107 Stat. 2057-2225	North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act	Dec 8, 1993	Approve and establish conditions for North American free Trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
103rd	108 Stat. 4809-5053	Uruguay Round Agreements Act	Dec 8, 1994	Approve and implement trade agreements concluded in the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations
104TH CONGRESS (JAN 4, 1995 - OCT 4, 1996): ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM J. CLINTON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
104th	109 Stat. 48-71	Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995	Mar 22, 1995	End imposition of Federal mandates on state, local, and tribal governments without adequate funding
104th	110 Stat. 56-161	Telecommunications Act of 1996	Feb 8, 1996	Revise telecommunication laws to promote competition, reduce regulation, benefit consumers, and facilitate the deployment of new telecommunication technologies
104th	110 Stat. 1489-1538	Food Quality Protection Act	Aug 3, 1996	Revise Federal regulation of pesticides
104th	110 Stat. 1936-2103	Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996	Aug 21, 1996	Improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in group and individual markets
104th	110 Stat. 2105-	Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996	Aug 22, 1996	Provide for comprehensive reform of the welfare system
105TH CONGRESS (JAN 7, 1997 - OCT 4, 1998): ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM J. CLINTON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
105th	111 Stat. 251-787	Balanced Budget Act of 1997	Aug 5, 1997	Amend numerous acts to reduce outlays and increase revenues to meet previously established budget reconciliation directives
105th	111 Stat. 788-1103	Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997	Aug 5, 1997	Revise various tax laws
105th	112 Stat. 107-509	Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century	Jun 9, 1998	Revise highway, mass transit, safety and other surface transportation programs
105th	112 Stat. 936-1247	Workforce Investment Act of 1998	Aug 7, 1998	Consolidate, coordinate, and improve employment, training, literacy, and vocational rehabilitation programs
106TH CONGRESS (JAN 6, 1999 - DEC 15, 2000): ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM J. CLINTON
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
106th	113 Stat. 1338-1481	Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act	Nov 12, 1999	Revise regulation of financial service industry to facilitate affiliation among banks, securities firms, and insurance companies
106th	113 Stat. 1860-1951	Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act	Dec 17, 1999	Establish programs and policies to facilitate employment and eliminate disincentives to work among disabled recipients of social security disability insurance and supplemental security income programs
107TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 2001 - NOV 22, 2002): ADMINISTRATIONS OF WILLIAM J. CLINTON AND GEORGE W. BUSH
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
107th	115 Stat. 38-150	Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001	Jun 7, 2001	Reduce tax burden on individuals and provide for a phased-in repeal of estate and gift taxes
107th	115 Stat. 272-402	Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT Act) Act of 2001	Oct 26, 2001	Revise law enforcement authorities to facilitate counter-terrorism efforts
107th	115 Stat. 1425-2094	No Child Left Behind Act	Jan 8, 2002	Revises various elementary and secondary education programs and requires States to establish statewide academic accountability standards and examine student achievement through annual testing
107th	116 Stat. 81-116	Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002	Mar 27, 2002	Revise financing regulation for Federal election campaigns
107th	116 Stat. 745	Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002	Jul 30, 2002	Revise laws governing accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to Federal securities laws
107th	116 Stat. 1498-1502	Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002	Oct 16, 2002	Authorize the force of U.S. military forces against Iraq
107th	116 Stat. 2135	Homeland Security Act of 2002	Nov 25, 2002	Establish the Department of Homeland Security consolidating various Federal agencies with responsibilities for preventing, protecting against and responding to terrorist threats
108TH CONGRESS (JAN 7, 2003 - DEC 9, 2004): ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE W. BUSH
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
108th	117 Stat. 2066-2480	Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003	Dec 8, 2003	Revise Medicare programs and establish an outpatient prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries
108th	118 Stat. 1418-1660	American Jobs Creation Act of 2004	Oct 22, 2004	Revise tax laws to facilitate competitiveness of manufacturing, service, and high- technology businesses and workers
108th	118 Stat. 2260-2293	Justice for All Act of 2004	Oct 30, 2004	Codify crime victim statutory rights and establish programs to facilitate the use of DNA evidence
108th	118 Stat. 3638-3872	Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004	Dec 17, 2004	Restructure the intelligence community and intelligence programs to improve ability of U.S. to respond to terrorism threats
109TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 2005 - JAN 3, 2007): ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE W. BUSH
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
109th	119 Stat. 23-217	Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005	Apr 20, 2005	Revise bankruptcy laws applicable to individual and commercial debtors
109th	119 Stat. 594-1143	Energy Policy Act of 2005	Aug 8, 2005	Revise energy policies and programs to promote increased energy conservation and the security of energy supplies
109th	119 Stat. 2095-2103	Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act	Oct 26, 2005	Prohibit certain civil liability actions in Federal or State courts against licensed firearms or ammunitions manufacturers, sellers, or trade associations for damages resulting from unlawful third party use of a firearm or ammunition product
110TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 2007 - JAN 3, 2009): ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE W. BUSH
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
110th	121 Stat. 266	Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007	Aug. 3, 2007	Establish and revise programs to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks and other emergencies
110th	121 Stat. 784	College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007	Sept. 27, 2007	Revise post-secondary education student aid programs to reduce the cost of postsecondary education
110th	122 Stat. 1651	Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008	June 18, 2008	Provide for the continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through Fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes
110th	122 Stat. 3016	Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008	Aug. 14, 2008	Establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children’s products and reauthorize and modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission
111TH CONGRESS (JAN 3, 2009 - JAN 3, 2011): ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE W. BUSH AND BARACK OBAMA
Congress	Statute at Large	Act Name or Characterization	Date Approved	Act Purpose
111th	123 Stat. 5	Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009	Jan. 29, 2009	Clarify that a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice that is unlawful under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 occurs each time compensation is paid
111th	123 Stat. 115	American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009	Feb. 17, 2009	Make supplementary appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization
111th	123 Stat. 1632	Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009; Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009	May 20, 2009	Establish programs to reduce incidence of mortgage foreclosure and increase credit availability
111th	124 Stat. 119	Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act	Mar. 23, 2010	Require individuals to obtain health insurance coverage and establish programs to improve health care affordability
111th	124 Stat. 1376	Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act	July 21, 2010	Improve financial system accountability and increase protection for taxpayers and consumers from improper financial practices
111th	124 Stat. 3515	Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010	Dec. 22, 2010	Provide for repeal of the policy that prevents homosexual men and women from serving openly in the military


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