Document 4: Public Law 94-167, 23 December 1977, reprinted in National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, The Spirit of Houston: The First National Women's Conference (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1978), pp. 251-52.
Introduction
The 1975 mid-summer United Nations International Women's Year conference in Mexico City proved inspirational to the movement promoting a national women's conference in the United States. Public Law 94-167 was authored by Representative Bella Abzug[54] after her return from the Mexico City conference. It was introduced into the House of Representatives with the help of Representatives Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Lindy Boggs, Shirley Chisholm, Cardiss Collins, Millicent Fenwick, Margaret Heckler, Elizabeth Holtzman, Barbara Jordan, Martha Keys, Helen Meyner, Patsy Mink[55], Shirley Pettis, Patricia Schroeder, Gladys Spellman, John Conyers, Michael Harrington, Gene Maguire, Francis McCloskey, Moffett, John Moss, and Leo Ryan on the 30 of September 1977. Under PL 94-167, the NCOIWY was given the authority to organize a National Women's Conference in the bi-centennial year of 1976 -- though the conference was subsequently postponed until 1977 due to delays in the processing of conference appropriations.
Abzug and Mink, two well-educated politicians and lawyers, had a long history of supporting women's rights and as Representatives both had introduced a number of bills into the House of Representatives to further women's interests. Prior to the passage of PL 94-167, Abzug and Representative Patsy Mink had both introduced unsuccessful bills proposing a national women's conference into the House of Representatives and both had cosponsored Representative Yvonne Brathwaite Burke's successful bill authorizing a delegation of eight Representatives to attend the United Nations International Women's Year conference in Mexico City at the government's expense. On the 6th of March 1975, Abzug had proposed "A bill to establish a committee to be known as the International Women's Year American Women's Conference Planning Committee" with appropriations of three and a half million dollars. Similarly, with a request for ten million dollars in appropriations, on 10 March 1975, Mink had proposed an unsuccessful bill titled, "Joint resolution to authorize and request the President to call a White House Conference on Women in 1976."[56] Mink and Abzug served as Commissioners on the NCOIWY from 1975 onward and Abzug was subsequently made the Presiding Officer.
p. 251
PUBLIC LAW 94-167
Ninety-fourth Congress of the United States of America at the first session begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the fourteenth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-five.
AN ACT
To direct the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975, to organize and convene a National Women's Conference, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.
FINDINGS
SECTION 1. The Congress hereby finds that—
(1) International Women's Year, and its World Plan of Action, have focused attention on the problems of women throughout the world, and have pointed to the need for an evaluation of the discrimination which American women face because of their sex;
(2) The Bicentennial year of 1976 is a particularly approriate time for the United States to recognize the contributions of women to the development of our country, to assess the progress that has been made toward insuring equality for all women, to set goals for the elimination of all barriers to the full and equal participation of women in all aspects of American life, and to recognize the importance of the contribution of women to the development of friendly relations and cooperation among nations and to the strengthening of world peace; and
(3) A national conference of American women, preceded by State conferences, is the most suitable mechanism by which such an evaluation of the status of women and issues of concern to them can be effected.
DUTIES OF COMMISSION
SECTION 2. (a) The National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975, established by Executive Order 11832 on January 9, 1975 (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the "Commission"), is hereby continued. The Commission shall organize and convene a national conference to be known as the National Women's Conference (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the "Conference"). The Conference and State or regional meetings conducted in preparation for the Conference shall be held in such places and at such times in 1976 as the Commission deems appropriate.
(b) The Commission shall consult with such National, State, and other organizations concerned with women's rights and related matters as the Commission considers necessary to carry out the purpose of this Act.
COMPOSITION AND GOALS OF THE CONFERENCE
SECTION 3 (a) The Conference shall be composed of—
(1) representatives of local, State, regional, and national institutions, agencies, organizations, unions, associations, publications, and other groups which work to advance the rights of women; and
(2) members of the general public, with special emphasis on the representation of low-income women, members of diverse racial, ethnic, and religious groups, and women of all ages.
(b) The Conference shall—
(1) recognize the contributions of women to the development of our country;
(2) assess the progress that has been made to date by both the private and public sectors in promoting equality between men and women in all aspects of life in the United States;
(3) assess the role of women in economic, social, cultural, and political development;
(4) assess the participation of women in efforts aimed at the development of friendly relations and cooperation among nations and to the strengthening of world peace;
(5) identify the barriers that prevent women from participating fully and equally in all aspects of national life, and develop recommendations for means by which such barriers can be removed;
(6) establish a timetable for the achievement of the objectives set forth in such recommendations; and
(7) establish a committee of the Conference which will take steps to provide for the convening of a second National Women's Conference. The second Conference will assess the progress made in achieving the objectives set forth in paragraphs (5) and (6) of this subsection, and will evaluate the steps taken to improve the status of American women.
(c) All meetings of the Conference and of State or regional meetings held in preparation for the Conference shall be open to the public.
POWERS OF COMMISSION
SECTION 4. The Commission shall—
(1)designate a coordinating committee in each State which shall organize and conduct a State or regional meeting in preparation for the Conference;
(2) prepare and make available background materials relating to women's rights and related matters
p. 252
(3) establish procedures to provide financial assistance for representatives to the Conference who are unable to pay their own expenses;
(4) establish such regulations as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act;
(5) designate such additional representatives to the Conference as may be necessary and appropriate to fulfill the goals set forth in section 3(b) of this Act;
(6) grant technical and financial assistance by grant, contract, or otherwise to facilitate the organization and conduct of State and regional meetings in preparation for the Conference;
(7) establish such advisory and technical committees as the Commission considers necessary to assist and advise the Conference; and
(8) publish and distribute the report required under this Act.
ADMINISTRATION OF COMMISSION
SECTION 5. (a) The Commission may appoint such staff personnel as it considers necessary to carry out its duties under this Act. Such personnel shall be appointed without regard to the provisions of Title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, except that no individual so appointed may receive pay in excess of the annual rate of basic pay in effect for grade GS-18 of the General Schedule. Appointments shall be made without regard to political affiliation.
(b) The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of contributions of money, services, or property.
(c) The Commission may use the United States mails under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the United States.
(d) The powers granted the Commission by this section shall be in addition to those granted by Executive Order 11832. The powers granted the Commission by Executive Order 11832 may be employed to fulfill the responsibilities of the Commission under this Act.
(e) The Commission, to such extent as it deems necessary, may procure supplies, services, and personal property; make contracts; expend funds appropriated, donated, or received in pursuance of contracts hereunder in furtherance of the purposes of this Act; and exercise those powers that are necessary to enable it to carry out efficiently and in the public interest the purposes of this Act.
(f) The powers granted the Commission under this Act may be delegated to any member or employee of the Commission by the Commission.
STATE AND REGIONAL MEETINGS
SECTION 6. (a) A meeting in preparation for the Conference shall be held in each State in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Commission, except that in the event the amount of time and resources available so requires, the Commission may combine two or more such State meetings into a regional meeting.
(b) Any State or regional meeting which receives financial assistance under this Act shall be designed and structured in accordance with the goals of the Conference set forth in section 3(b) of this Act.
(c)(1) Each State or regional meeting shall select representatives to the Conference in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Commission and consistent with the criteria set forth in section 3(a) of this Act.
(2) The total number of representatives selected under this subsection shall be apportioned among the States according to population, except that despite such apportionment no State shall have fewer than ten representatives.
REPORT
Section 7. The Commission shall submit a report to the President and to each House of the Congress not later than one hundred and twenty days after the conclusion of the Conference, and shall make such report available to the general public. Such report shall contain a detailed statement of the findings and recommendations of the Conference with respect to the matters described in subsection (b) of section 3. The President shall, not later than one hundred and twenty days after the receipt of the report, submit to each House of the Congress recommendations with respect to matters considered in such report.
TERMINATION OF COMMISSION
SECTION 8. The Commission shall continue in operation until thirty days after submitting its report pursuant to section 7, at which time it shall terminate, but the life of the Commission shall in no case extend beyond March 31, 1978.
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION
SECTION 9. There are authorized to be appropriated without fiscal year limitation, such sums, but not to exceed $5,000,000, as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. Such sums shall remain available for obligation until expended.
No funds authorized hereunder may be used for lobbying activities.
DEFINITION
SECTION 10. For the purpose of this Act, the term "State" includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.
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