I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3278 

To authorize the Fair Housing Commemorative Foundation to establish a 

commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia to 

commemorate the national significance of the fair housing movement 

in America. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 27, 2011 

Ms. NORTON (for herself and Mr. CALVERT) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize the Fair Housing Commemorative Foundation 

to establish a commemorative work on Federal land in 

the District of Columbia to commemorate the national 

significance of the fair housing movement in America. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Housing Memo5 rial Authorization Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Although the Declaration of Independence 

2 declared that ‘‘all men are created equal,’’ it took a 

3 Civil War, constitutional amendments, and genera4 tions of the civil rights movements, as well as the 

5 work of many other Americans, to pursue the dream 

6 of equality for all Americans. 

7 (2) In order to address the prevalent discrimi8 nation in the housing market, it required a national 

9 fair housing movement and bipartisan political lead10 ership to secure a national commitment to equality 

11 for all to live the American Dream and purchase, 

12 rent, or finance a home. The national movement for 

13 fair housing rights spanned several decades in the 

14 twentieth century and was led by many prominent 

15 civil rights, community, legal, and political leaders in 

16 our country, among them Thurgood Marshall, Mar17 tin Luther King, Jr., President Lyndon Johnson, 

18 Senator Edward Brooke, and Senator Everett Dirk19 sen. 

20 (3) The national movement for fair housing 

21 gained prominence with the Supreme Court decision 

22 of Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S. 1 (1948), which 

23 prohibited the enforcement of restrictive covenants 

24 on real estate based on race. The movement cul25 minated with the enactment of the Fair Housing Act 


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1 on April 11, 1968, one week after the assassination 

2 of Martin Luther King. The Fair Housing Act for3 mally prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, 

4 rental, and financing of housing based on race, 

5 color, religion, and national origin. The Fair Hous6 ing Act was later amended to add prohibitions 

7 against discrimination in housing based on sex, 

8 handicap, and family status. April is celebrated 

9 around the country as Fair Housing Month in com10 memoration of the fair housing movement. 

11 (4) The national significance of the Americans 

12 movement for fair housing for people of every race, 

13 color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, and na14 tional origin should be perpetuated permanently with 

15 a commemorative work in Washington, DC. 

16 SEC. 3. COMMEMORATIVE WORK TO HONOR THE NATIONAL 

17 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FAIR HOUSING MOVE18 MENT. 

19 (a) AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH COMMEMORATIVE

20 WORK.—The Fair Housing Commemorative Foundation 

21 may establish a commemorative work on Federal land in 

22 the District of Columbia and its environs to commemorate 

23 the national significance of the movement for fair housing 

24 for people of every race, color, religion, sex, handicap, fa25 milial status, and national origin. 


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1 (b) COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS FOR COMMEMO2 RATIVE WORKS.—The commemorative work authorized by 

3 subsection (a) shall be established in accordance with 

4 chapter 89 of title 40, United States Code (commonly 

5 known as the ‘‘Commemorative Works Act’’). 

6 (c) USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS PROHIBITED.—Federal 

7 funds may not be used to pay any expense of the establish8 ment of the commemorative work authorized by subsection 

9 (a). The Fair Housing Commemorative Foundation shall 

10 be solely responsible for acceptance of contributions for, 

11 and payment of the expenses of, the establishment of the 

12 commemorative work. 

13 (d) DEPOSIT OF EXCESS FUNDS.—If, upon payment 

14 of all expenses of the establishment of the commemorative 

15 work authorized by subsection (a) (including the mainte16 nance and preservation amount provided for in section 

17 8906(b), of title 40, United States Code), or upon expira18 tion of the authority for the commemorative work under 

19 chapter 89 of title 40, United States Code, there remains 

20 a balance of funds received for the establishment of that 

21 commemorative work, the Fair Housing Commemorative 

22 Foundation shall transmit the amount of the balance to 

23 the Secretary of the Treasury for deposit in the account 

24 provided for in section 8906(b)(1) of such title. 


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1 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

2 For the purposes of this Act, the terms ‘‘commemora3 tive work’’ and ‘‘the District of Columbia and its envi4 rons’’ have the meanings given to such terms in section 

5 8902(a) of title 40, United States Code. 

Æ 


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