I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2554
To provide for the expeditious disclosure of records relevant to the life 
and assassination of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 23, 2005
Ms. MCKINNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Government Reform 
A BILL 
To provide for the expeditious disclosure of records relevant 
to the life and assassination of Reverend Doctor Martin 
Luther King, Jr.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Martin Luther King, Jr., Records Collection Act of 
2005’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings, declarations, and purposes. 
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Sec. 4. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Records Collection at the Na-
tional Archives. 
Sec. 5. Review, identification, transmission to the National Archives, and public 
disclosure of related records by Government offices. 
Sec. 6. Postponement of public disclosure of records. 
Sec. 7. Establishment and powers of the Records Review Board. 
Sec. 8. Records Review Board personnel. 
Sec. 9. Review of records by the Records Review Board. 
Sec. 10. Disclosure of materials under seal of court. 
Sec. 11. Private right of action. 
Sec. 12. Rules of construction. 
Sec. 13. Termination of effect of Act. 
Sec. 14. Authorization of appropriations. 
Sec. 15. Records pending. 
Sec. 16. Whistleblower protection. 
Sec. 17. Severability.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS, DECLARATIONS, AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS.—The Congress 
finds and declares that—
(1) all Government records related to the life 
and assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther 
King, Jr., should be preserved for historical and gov-
ernmental purposes; 
(2) all Government records concerning the life 
and assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther 
King, Jr., should carry a presumption of immediate 
disclosure, and all records should be eventually dis-
closed to enable the public to become fully informed 
about the history surrounding his life and assassina-
tion; 
(3) legislation is necessary to create an enforce-
able, independent, and accountable process for the 
public disclosure of such records;
(4) legislation is necessary because congres-
sional records related to the life and assassination of 
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would not 
otherwise be subject to public disclosure until at 
least the year 2028; 
(5) legislation is necessary because the Freedom 
of Information Act, as implemented by the executive 
branch, has prevented the timely public disclosure of 
records relating to the life and assassination of Rev-
erend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; 
(6) legislation is necessary because Executive 
Order No. 12356, entitled ‘‘National Security Infor-
mation’’, has eliminated the declassification and 
downgrading schedules relating to classified informa-
tion across government and has prevented the timely 
public disclosure of records relating to the life and 
assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, 
Jr.; 
(7) legislation is necessary because records re-
lating to the life and assassination of Reverend Dr. 
Martin Luther King, Jr., that were previously de-
classified and released to the public are being re-
evaluated for reclassification; and 
(8) most of the records related to the life and 
assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., are almost 35 years old, and only in the rarest 
cases is there any legitimate need for continued pro-
tection of such records. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to provide for the creation of the Reverend 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Records Collection at 
the National Archives; and 
(2) to require the expeditious public trans-
mission to the Archivist and public disclosure (in-
cluding by electronic means) of such records. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the following definitions apply: 
(1) The term ‘‘Archivist’’ means the Archivist 
of the United States. 
(2) The term ‘‘related record’’ includes all 
records, public and private, regardless of how labeled 
or identified, that document, describe, report on, 
analyze or interpret activities, persons, or events 
reasonably related to the life and assassination of 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and investigations of 
or inquiries into his life or death, including a 
record—
(A) that was created or made available for 
use by, obtained by, or otherwise came into the 
possession of—