National Visitor Center Emergency Repair Act of 1980
Public Law 96-610 · S. 2729 · 96th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 28, 1980 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Daniel Moynihan (D-NY)
Cosponsors: None
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.
National Visitor Center Emergency Repair Act of 1980 - Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 1981 to the Secretary of the Interior for making emergency repairs to and protecting structures at the National Visitor Center in the District of Columbia. Directs the Secretary to consult with the Secretary of Transportation regarding such repairs or protection.
Directs the Office of Legal Counsel of the Department of Justice to prepare an opinion on the question of whether the United States or the Terminal Realty Baltimore Co. and the Terminal Realty Penn Co. are legally liable for the repairs anticipated by the provisions of this Act. Directs the Attorney General, if the Office of Legal Counsel determines that there is a reasonable cause to believe a party other than the United States is legally obligated to bear all or a portion of the costs of that repair authorized by this Act, to institute an action to recover expenditures that were incurred by Secretary pursuant to this Act.
Declares that none of the actions taken pursuant to this Act shall be deemed to limit or affect in any way the rights of the United States under the lease for real property between Terminal Realty Baltimore Co. and Terminal Realty Penn Co. and the United States, dated March 1, 1972, or any additions or modifications thereto.
Permits the Architect of the Capitol to enter into a contract or other agreement with the Secretary of the Interior providing for the Architect of the Capitol to furnish steam from the Capitol Power Plant to the Union Station National Visitor Center complex.
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. 10 actions.
- Dec 28, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-610.
- Dec 17, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 16, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 13, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- May 15, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.