A bill authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to accept the conveyance of the United First Parish Church in Quincy, Massachusetts, and authorizing the Secretary to administer the United First Parish Church as a national historic site, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-435 · H.R. 7411 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 10, 1980 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Donnelly (D-MA-11)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Silvio Conte
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.
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to accept the conveyance, without monetary consideration, of the following for administration as part of the Adams National Historic Site in Quincy, Massachusetts: (1) the United First Parish Church together with such adjacent real property as the Secretary considers desirable; and (2) the furnishings and personal property located in the United First Parish Church.
Directs the Secretary, prior to accepting the donation of any or all of such property, to submit, after consultation with the Attorney General of the United States, a report to specified Congressional committees describing the measures which the Secretary intends to take to ensure that in the management of such property there is no violation of the constitutional provisions regarding the separation of church and state.
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. 13 actions.
- Oct 10, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-435.
- Oct 2, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Oct 1, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 30, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Sep 18, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 26, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
- Aug 25, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Aug 21, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Natural Resources Committee
- May 21, 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.