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Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000

Public Law 106-465 · S. 2950 · 106th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 7, 2000 · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Sponsor: Sen. Ben Campbell (R-CO)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, upon a determination that sufficient land has been acquired by the National Park Service (NPS), to establish in Kiowa County, Colorado, the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site to commemorate the massacre of more than 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians under the leadership of Chief Black Kettle who were murdered by U.S. soldiers along Sand Creek in southeastern Colorado territory on November 29, 1864. Directs the Secretary to: (1) administer the Site as part of the NPS; (2) develop a Site management plan; and (3) prepare programs which educate the public about the Site. Authorizes the Secretary to acquire land and interests within the Site's boundaries for such purposes.

Requires descendants of such Indians to have reasonable rights of access to, and use of, federally acquired land within the Site.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) grant to any descendant or tribal member reasonable access to federally acquired land within the Site for carrying out traditional, cultural, or historical observance (closing the area to the general public during such period); and (2) dedicate a portion of the Site to certain burial and commemorative remains and objects.

Authorizes appropriations.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.

  1. Nov 7, 2000Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 106-465.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 30, 2000PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 23, 2000FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. FloorFloor · Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  7. Oct 11, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee
  8. Oct 6, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources Committee
  9. Oct 5, 2000FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  10. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  11. Sep 25, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  12. Sep 20, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  13. Sep 14, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  14. Jul 27, 2000CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  15. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.