Martin Luther King, Jr., Records Collection Act of 2002
Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Nov 19, 2002
Martin Luther King, Jr., Records Collection Act of 2002 - Directs the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to commence establishment of a collection of all Government records relating to the life and assassination of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Requires the Archivist of the United States to: (1) ensure the physical integrity and original provenance of all records; (2) prepare and publish a subject guidebook and index to the collection which will be available to the public and searchable electronically; and (2) enter into an agreement with an entity outside NARA for the establishment of a secondary location for a portion of the collection.Requires each Government office having possession or control of related records to: (1) identify and organize its records and prepare them for transmission to the Archivist; and (2) review, identify, and organize each related record in its custody or possession for disclosure to the public, review by the Review Board (established by this Act), and transmission to the Archivist.Sets forth grounds for postponement of public disclosure of related records. Establishes the Records Review Board to consider and render decisions on a Government office determination to seek to postpone disclosure.Authorizes the Board to request the Attorney General to petition any court to release information or physical evidence relevant to King's life or assassination that is held under court seal.Creates a private right of action for individuals aggrieved by a violation of this Act.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 19, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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