This bill directs the Architect of the Capitol to create a "Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule." Congressional leaders from both chambers will jointly pick the capsule's contents. Required contents include a representative set of semiquincentennial materials, copies or representations of important legislative and institutional milestones up to the burial date, a message from Congress to the future Congress, and any other items those offices consider appropriate. The offices may consult the Architect of the Capitol, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and other federal entities. The Architect must seal and bury the time capsule on the West Lawn of the Capitol on or before July 4, 2026, and install a plaque. The capsule is to remain sealed until July 4, 2276, when the Speaker will present it to the 244th Congress for that Congress to decide how to preserve or use the contents.
If you attend public events around July 4, 2026, you may be able to see the burial of this time capsule on the Capitol West Lawn. The contents will be chosen by top House and Senate leadership, with advice from the Architect of the Capitol and others if they wish. A plaque will mark the capsule's location. The capsule will not be opened until July 4, 2276.
No publicly available information.
The bill's stated purpose is to create and bury a Congressional time capsule in commemoration of the semiquincentennial. It assigns the Architect of the Capitol responsibility for preparing, sealing, burying, and marking the capsule and sets the selection process for its contents.
No publicly available information.