HR 3706 98th Congress House

A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday.

Introduced: July 29, 1983 See on congress.gov

Government Operations and Politics Black leadershipCommemorationsHolidays

Everywhere this bill has been 22 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Nov 2, 1983

Became Public Law No: 98-144.

Nov 2, 1983

Signed by President.

Oct 21, 1983

Measure Signed in Senate.

Oct 21, 1983

Presented to President.

Oct 19, 1983

Considered by Senate.

Oct 19, 1983

Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 78-22. Record Vote No: 303.

Oct 19, 1983

Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 78-22. Record Vote No: 303.

Oct 18, 1983

Motion to commit the bill (H.R. 3706) to the Committee on the Judiciary rejected by Yea-Nay Vote. 12-76. Record Vote No: 291.

Oct 18, 1983

Motion to commit to the Committee on the Judiciary made in Senate.

Oct 18, 1983

Considered by Senate.

Oct 5, 1983

Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 3706 withdrawn by unanimous consent in Senate.

Oct 5, 1983

Motion to proceed to consideration of measure withdrawn in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

Oct 3, 1983

Cloture motion on the Motion to Proceed to Consideration of H.R. 3706 presented in Senate.

Oct 3, 1983

Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate.

Aug 3, 1983

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 343.

Aug 3, 1983

Received in the Senate, read twice.

Aug 2, 1983

Passed House by Yea-Nay Vote: 338 - 90 (Record Vote No: 304).

Aug 2, 1983

Passed/agreed to in House: Passed House by Yea-Nay Vote: 338 - 90 (Record Vote No: 304).

Aug 2, 1983

Called up by House Under Suspension of Rules.

Aug 2, 1983

House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service Discharged by Suspension of Rules.

Jul 29, 1983

Referred to House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service.

Jul 29, 1983

Introduced in House

Amendments to this bill 15

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

12 failed 3 pending / other

Amendment	Sponsor	Purpose	Status	Latest action
SAMDT 2,343	–	To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide additional rules concerning the observance of the Birthday o…	Failed	Oct 19, 1983
SAMDT 2,342	Grassley, Chuck	To establish the National Heroes Day Commission and to designate as a legal public holiday the third Sunday o…	Failed	Oct 19, 1983
SAMDT 2,341	–	To establish a specific legal holiday honoring Hispanic Americans and to provide that the total number of Fed…	Failed	Oct 19, 1983
SAMDT 2,339	–	To express the sense of the Congress that the President should grant a full pardon to Marcus Garvey of any cr…	Failed	Oct 19, 1983
SAMDT 2,338	–	To establish a legal public holiday for Thomas Jefferson and to provide that the total number of Federal holi…	Failed	Oct 19, 1983
SAMDT 2,337	–	To make Lincoln's Birthday a legal public holiday to be observed on the second Sunday in February of each yea…	Failed	Oct 19, 1983
SAMDT 2,335	–	To make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday to be observed on the third Sunday in…	Failed	Oct 19, 1983
SAMDT 2,269	–	To amend title 5, United States Code, to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday…	Withdrawn	Oct 19, 1983
SAMDT 2,332	–	To obtain Senate access to Federal records on Martin Luther King, Jr.	Failed	Oct 18, 1983
SAMDT 2,331	–	To make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a national holiday each January 15.	Failed	Oct 18, 1983
SAMDT 2,329	–	To make National Civil Rights Day a national holiday each March 16.	Failed	Oct 18, 1983
SAMDT 2,328	–	To make National Equality Day a legal public holiday to be observed on February 12 of each year.	Failed	Oct 18, 1983
SAMDT 2,268	–	To make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday.	Failed	Oct 18, 1983
SAMDT 2,334	–	–	Pending	–
SAMDT 2,333	–	To establish the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Commission.	Pending	–

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Latest action November 2, 1983

Became Public Law No: 98-144.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Designates the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the third Monday in January, a legal holiday.

Related & companion bills 1

Bill text 1 version

Public Law PDF

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 1

Post Office and Civil Service Committee
House of Representatives

Cosponsors 4

Hoyer, Steny H.

Maryland · Jul 29, 1983

Kaptur, Marcy

Ohio · Jul 29, 1983

Markey, Edward J.

Massachusetts · Jul 29, 1983

Schumer, Charles E.

New York · Jul 29, 1983

Cite this page click to expand

APA

U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3706: A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday.. 98th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-3706/

MLA

"H.R. 3706: A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday.." 98th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-3706/.

Bluebook (legal)

H.R. 3706, 98th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-3706/.

Markdown link

[H.R. 3706: A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday.](https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-3706/)