Enabling Act
Read the federal law that allowed Washington to become a state.
Preface
AN ACT to provide for the division of Dakota into two States and to enable the people of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington to form constitutions and State governments and to be admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, and to make donations of public lands to such States.
(Approved February 22, 1889.) [25 U.S. Statutes at Large, c 180 p 676.]
[President's proclamation declaring Washington a state: 26 St. at Large, Proclamations, p 1552, Nov. 11, 1889.]
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the inhabitants of all that part of the area of the United States now constituting the Territories of Dakota, Montana, and Washington, as at present described, may become the States of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington, respectively, as hereinafter provided.
SEC. 12.
That upon the admission of each of said States into the Union, in accordance with the provisions of this act, fifty sections of the unappropriated public lands within said States, to be selected and located in legal subdivisions as provided in section ten of this act, shall be, and are hereby, granted to said States for the purpose of erecting public buildings at the capital of said States for legislative, executive, and judicial purposes.
Reviser's note: Section 12 has been amended by Congress as follows:
AN ACT To amend section 12 of the Act approved February 22, 1889 (25 Stat. 676) relating to the admission into the Union of the States of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington, by providing for the use of public lands granted to the States therein for the purpose of construction, reconstruction, repair, renovation, furnishings, equipment, or other permanent improvement of public buildings at the capital of said States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 12 of the Act relating to the admission into the Union of the States of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington, approved February 22, 1889, is amended to read as follows:
"That upon the admission of each of said States into the Union, in accordance with the provisions of this act, fifty sections of unappropriated public lands within such States, to be selected and located in legal subdivisions as provided in section 10 of this Act, shall be, and are hereby, granted to said States for public buildings at the capital of said States for legislative, executive, and judicial purposes, including construction, reconstruction, repair, renovation, furnishings, equipment, and any other permanent improvement of such buildings and the acquisition of necessary land for such buildings, and the payment of principal and interest on bonds issued for any of the above purposes."
SEC. 2. This Act shall take effect as of February 22, 1889. [Public Law 85-6. 71 U.S. Statutes at large p 5. Approved February 26, 1957.]