A bill to establish the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in the State of Georgia, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-428 · H.R. 7218 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 10, 1980 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Phillip Burton (D-CA-6)
Cosponsors (38): Rep. Shirley Chisholm, Rep. Bill Clay,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Establishes the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia.
Establishes the Martin Luther King, Junior, Preservation District which shall consist of the properties within the Martin Luther King, Junior, Historic District.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior to administer such historic site and preservation district.
Authorizes the Secretary, within the national historic site, to: (1) acquire by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, transfer, or exchange, lands and interests therein, except that property owned by the State or Georgia or any political subdivision thereof may be acquired only by donation; (2) convey a freehold or leasehold or leasehold interest in any property, for such sums as he deems appropriate, and subject to such terms and conditions and reservations as will assure the use of the property in a manner consistent with the purposes of this Act; and (3) enter into cooperative agreements with the owners of properties of historical of cultural significance.
Establishes the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site Advisory Commission which shall: (1) advise the Secretary with respect to the formulation and execution of plans for and the overall administration of the national historic site and preservation district; (2) prepare a generalized impact area plan for a one-mile radius outside the district; and (3) prepare, on the basis of the findings and recommendations of such impact area plan, a detailed development plan for the neighborhoods and outlying commercial areas immediately outside the district.
Terminates such Commission ten years from the effective date of this Act.
Prohibits any fees from being charged for entrance or admission to the national historic site or the preservation district.
Directs the Federal Highway Administration, in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Transportation, to insure that any design and reconstruction of specified highways in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, shall minimize the adverse impacts on the preservation district.
Requires any plans for the construction, exterior renovation, or demolition of any structure or change in land use within the preservation district by the National Park Service or any Federal agency to be submitted to the Atlanta Urban Design Commission in a timely fashion for its review and comment.
Requires the Secretary, within three fiscal years from the effective date of this Act, to submit to specified Congressional committees a comprehensive general management plan for the historic site and the preservation district.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 11 actions.
- Oct 10, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-428.
- Oct 1, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Sep 30, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 26, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Sep 9, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Natural Resources Committee
- Apr 30, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Natural Resources 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.