A bill to amend the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 to strengthen the enforcement provisions of that Act, and for other purposes.
Public Law 100-588 · H.R. 4068 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 3, 1988 · Arts, Culture, Religion
Sponsor: Rep. Sam Gejdenson (D-CT-2)
Cosponsors (5): Rep. Morris Udall, Rep. George Miller,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Amends the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (the Act) to prohibit attempts at (as well as acts of) excavation, removal, damage, or other alteration or defacement of any archaeological resource located on public or Indian lands, without a permit.
Lowers to $500 (currently $5,000) the threshold commercial or archaeological value of an archaeological resource (including cost of restoration or repair) above which, for certain violations of the Act, specified criminal penalties are mandated.
Directs each Federal land manager to: (1) establish a program to increase public awareness of the significance of, and the need to protect, archaeological resources located on public lands and Indian lands; and (2) report annually to specified congressional committees on actions taken under such program.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee
Energy and Natural Resources Committee · Senate · referred to, reported bySubcommittee: National Parks Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Nov 3, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-588.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 25, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 19, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Voice Vote.
- Oct 14, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Sep 30, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Sep 14, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 2, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 26, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jul 13, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 30, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Jun 14, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 17, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
- Mar 9, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Criminal Justice Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Mar 2, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.