S. 3705

119 S3705 : Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act
 U.S. Senate
 2026-01-27
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 II  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  S. 3705  IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES   January 27, 2026   Mr. Tillis  (for himself,  Mr. Grassley ,  Mrs. Shaheen , and  Mr. Padilla ) introduced the following bill; which was considered, read the third time, and passed   A BILL
To provide for the creation of a congressional time capsule in commemoration of the semiquincentennial of the United States, and for other purposes.
1.
Short Title
This Act may be cited as the   Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act  .
2.
Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule
(a)
Creation by Architect of the Capitol
The Architect of the Capitol shall create a congressional time capsule, to be known as the  Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule  (in this Act referred to as the  Time Capsule ).
(b)
Contents
(1)
Determination by congressional leadership
The Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Office of the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Office of the Majority Leader of the Senate, and Office of the Minority Leader of the Senate shall jointly determine the contents of the Time Capsule, taking into account the requirements of paragraph (2).
(2)
Contents
(A)
In general
The contents of the Time Capsule shall include—
(i)
a single, joint letter from the offices described in paragraph (1); and
(ii)
any other item that the offices described in paragraph (1) jointly determine appropriate.
(B)
Limitations
Any item included in the Time Capsule under subparagraph (A)—
(i)
shall be made of materials that pose a low risk of degrading, such as metal or archival paper; and
(ii)
shall not be made of any organic or inorganic material that poses a high risk of degrading.
(3)
Size
The Time Capsule shall be not more than 50 inches wide, 32 inches deep, and 48 inches high.
(4)
Consultation
In carrying out this subsection, the offices described in paragraph (1) may consult with the Architect of the Capitol, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and such other entities of the Federal Government as the offices consider appropriate.
(c)
Duties of Architect
The Architect of the Capitol shall—
(1)
prepare the Time Capsule to be sealed and buried in the Capitol Visitor Center, at a location specified by the Architect, with the approval of the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate and the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives, on or before July 4th, 2026, at a time which would permit individuals attending this event to also attend the burial of a time capsule in Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under section 7(f)(1) of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 ( 36 U.S.C. 101  note prec.); and
(2)
install a plaque to provide such information about the Time Capsule as the Architect, with the approval of the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate and the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives, considers appropriate.
(d)
Unsealing
The Time Capsule shall be sealed until July 4th, 2276, on which date the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the Senate shall present the Time Capsule to the 244th Congress, and such Congress shall determine how the contents within should be preserved or used.