Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6243 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6243

    To provide for the creation of a congressional time capsule in 
 commemoration of the semiquincentennial of the United States, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 20, 2025

 Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Mr. Aderholt, Ms. Salazar, and Mr. 
    Evans of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Semiquincentennial Congressional 
Time Capsule Act''.

SEC. 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);
                            (ii) coins minted by the Secretary of the 
                        Treasury in commemoration of the 
                        semiquincentennial anniversary of the 
                        establishment of the United States; and
                            (iii) 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 shall 
present the Time Capsule to the 244th Congress, and such Congress shall 
determine how the contents within should be preserved or used.
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