79–006 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 115–612 

KENNEDY–KING NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE SITE ACT 

MARCH 19, 2018.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. BISHOP of Utah, from the Committee on Natural Resources, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 4851] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 4851) to establish the Kennedy–King National Historic 

Site in the State of Indiana, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and 

recommend that the bill as amended do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site Act’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary of the Interior. 

(2) SITE.—The term ‘‘Site’’ means the Kennedy-King National Commemorative 

Site as designated by section 3(a). 

(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State of Indiana. 

SEC. 3. NATIONAL COMMEMORATIVE SITE. 

(a) DESIGNATION.—The Landmark for Peace Memorial in Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Park in Indianapolis, in the State, is hereby designated as the Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site. 

(b) AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS NETWORK.—The Site shall be part of the African American Civil Rights Network established under Public Law 115–104. 

(c) ADMINISTRATION.— 

(1) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary may enter into cooperative 

agreements with appropriate public or private entities for interpretative and 

educational purposes related to the Site. 

(2) EFFECT OF DESIGNATION.—The Site shall not be a unit of the National 

Park System. 

(3) LIMITATIONS.—Nothing in this Act— 

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(A) authorizes the Secretary to interfere with the rights of any person 

with respect to private property or any local zoning ordinance or land use 

plan of the State or any political subdivision thereof; or 

(B) authorizes the Secretary to acquire land or interests in land through 

condemnation or otherwise. 

(d) SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.—The Secretary shall conduct a special resource 

study of the Site to evaluate the national significance of the Site and determine the 

suitability and feasibility of designating the Site as a unit of the National Park System. The Secretary shall also consider other alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the Site by Federal, State, or local government entities, 

or private and non-profit groups. The study shall be conducted in accordance with 

section 100507 of title 54, United States Code. Not later than three years after the 

date on which funds are made available to conduct the study, the Secretary shall 

submit a report to Congress that describes the results of the study and any recommendations of the Secretary. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of H.R. 4851, as introduced, is to establish the Kennedy-King National Historic Site in the State of Indiana. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

On April 4, 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy was scheduled to give 

a campaign speech in Indianapolis during his quest for the presidency. Just before giving his remarks, Sen. Kennedy was informed 

about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sen. Kennedy then changed his speech to inform the crowd of Dr. King’s 

death, extemporaneously calling upon Americans to embrace nonviolence in reaction to the news of the assassination. 

This historic speech was commemorated in 1994, with a Landmark for Peace Memorial at the site of the speech. The Memorial 

features a sculpture (the result of a national competition) of Kennedy and King reaching out toward each other from high solid 

walls. The groundbreaking for the Memorial was held on May 14, 

1994, and attended by President Clinton, Senator Edward Kennedy, Ethel Kennedy, Dexter Scott King, and Martin Luther King 

III, among other dignitaries. 

As ordered reported, H.R. 4851 designates the Landmark for 

Peace Memorial as a National Commemorative Site, and makes the 

site a part of the African American Civil Rights Network. It also 

authorizes the National Park Service to enter into cooperative 

agreements for interpretation and education at the site, and authorizes a special resource study to evaluate the national significance of the site and to determine the suitability and feasibility of 

designating the site as a unit of the National Park System. 

April 4, 2018, marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther 

King’s assassination and Senator Kennedy’s speech. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 4851 was introduced on January 19, 2018, by Congressman 

Andre Carson (D–IN). The bill was referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources, and within the Committee to the Subcommittee 

on Federal Lands. On February 15, 2018, the Subcommittee held 

a hearing on the legislation. On March 14, 2018, the Natural Resources Committee met to consider the bill. The Subcommittee was 

discharged by unanimous consent. Congressman Rob Bishop (R– 

UT) offered an amendment designated #1; it was adopted by unanimous consent. No further amendments were offered, and the bill, 

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as amended, was ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by unanimous consent. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee on 

Natural Resources’ oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET

ACT

1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act. With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives and sections 308(a) and 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 

received the following estimate for the bill from the Director of the 

Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, March 16, 2018. 

Hon. ROB BISHOP, 

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4851, the Kennedy-King 

National Commemorative Site Act. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani Shankaran. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL, 

Director. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 4851—Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site Act 

H.R. 4851 would designate the Landmark for Peace Memorial in 

Indianapolis, Indiana, as the Kennedy-King National Commemorative Site. 

Under H.R. 4851, the National Park Service (NPS) could enter 

into cooperative agreements with public and private entities for interpretive and educational purposes related to the site. The site 

would not be owned or operated by the federal government. The bill 

also would direct the NPS to study the suitability and feasibility 

of designating the site as a unit of the National Park System. 

Based on the costs of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4851 would cost less than $500,000; such spending 

would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. 

Enacting H.R. 4851 would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 4851 would not increase net 

direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2028. 

H.R. 4851 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

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The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Janani Shankaran. 

The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by 

clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goal or objective 

of this bill, as introduced, is to establish the Kennedy-King National Historic Site in the State of Indiana. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined under clause 9(e), 

9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. 

COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC LAW 104–4

This bill contains no unfunded mandates. 

COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5

Directed Rule Making. This bill does not contain any directed 

rule makings. 

Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish or 

reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 

PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any State, local or tribal law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing law. 

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