Inventory of Historic African American Burial Grounds Amendment Act of 2025

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Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie 2
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A BILL 6
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 11
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To amend the Historic Landmark and Historic District Protection Act of 1978 to require the 16
Historic Preservation Review Board to include Historic African American burial grounds 17
in its inventory of historic landmarks and historic districts, and on city maps, and to 18
require the Mayor to include the preservation status of Historic African American burial 19
grounds in existing annual reporting requirements to the Council. 20
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 22
act may be cited as the “Inventory of Historic African American Burial Grounds Amendment 23
Act of 2025”. 24
Sec. 2. The Historic Landmark and Historic District Protection Act of 1978, effective 25
March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-144; D.C. Code § 6-1101 et seq.), is amended as follows: 26
(a) Section 3 (D.C. Official Code § 6-1102) is amended as follows: 27
(1) A new paragraph (4B) is added to read as follows: 28
“(4B) "Historic African American burial ground" means a cemetery or any natural 29
or prepared physical location, whether originally below, on, or above the surface of the earth, 30
into which human remains are deposited as a part of the death rite or ceremony of a culture, and 31
that was established in the District of Columbia prior to January 1, 1955, for interments of 32
African Americans and is owned by a public body or qualified charitable organization.”. 33
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(b) Section 4 (D.C. Official Code § 6-1103(c)(3)) is amended to read as follows: 34
“(3) Designate and maintain a current inventory of historic landmarks and historic 35
districts in the District of Columbia and, in connection therewith, adopt and publish appropriate 36
procedures. In coordination with the Office of Planning, the inventory shall include: 37
(A) All identified Historic African American burial grounds within the 38
District of Columbia including locational data, ownership records, and any contested issues 39
related to burial grounds; and 40
(B) The representation of all identified Historic African American burial 41
grounds on city maps including the District of Columbia Geographic Information System and 42
other public planning documents; and”. 43
(c) Section 14 (D.C. Official Code § 6-1113) is amended as follows: 44
(1) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase “; and” and inserting a 45
semicolon in its place. 46
(2) Paragraph (3) is amended by striking the phrase “building violations.” and 47
inserting the phrase “building violations; and” in its place. 48
(3) A new paragraph (4) is added to read as follows: 49
“(4) The preservation status of Historic African American burial grounds, 50
including efforts to register sites that are not yet listed in the District of Columbia’s inventory of 51
historic sites or on the National Register of Historic Places.”. 52
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 53
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The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 54
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 55
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 56
Sec. 4. Effective date. 57
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 58
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of Congressional review as 59
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 60
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Code § 1-206(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia 61
Register. 62