II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3293 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 14 (legislative day, NOVEMBER 13), 2023 

Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. GRASSLEY, 

Mr. CASEY, and Mr. ROUNDS) introduced the following bill; which was 

read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration 

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 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Semiquincentennial 

5 Congressional Time Capsule Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL CONGRESSIONAL TIME CAP7 SULE. 

8 (a) CREATION BY ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL.— 

9 The Architect of the Capitol shall create a Congressional 


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1 time capsule, to be known as the ‘‘Semiquincentennial 

2 Congressional Time Capsule’’ (in this Act referred to as 

3 the ‘‘Time Capsule’’). 

4 (b) CONTENTS.— 

5 (1) DETERMINATION BY CONGRESSIONAL LEAD6 ERSHIP.—The Office of the Speaker of the House of 

7 Representatives, Office of the Minority Leader of the 

8 House of Representatives, Office of the Majority 

9 Leader of the Senate, and Office of the Minority 

10 Leader of the Senate shall jointly determine the con11 tents of the Time Capsule, taking into account the 

12 requirements of paragraph (2). 

13 (2) SPECIFICATIONS.—The contents of the 

14 Time Capsule shall include— 

15 (A) a representative portion of all books, 

16 manuscripts, miscellaneous printed matter, 

17 memorabilia, relics, and other materials relating 

18 to the United States Semiquincentennial; 

19 (B) copies or representations of important 

20 legislative and institutional milestones of Con21 gress during the time before the Time Capsule 

22 is buried; 

23 (C) a message from Congress to the future 

24 Congress when the Time Capsule will be 

25 opened; and 


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1 (D) such other content as the offices de2 scribed in paragraph (1) consider appropriate. 

3 (3) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this sub4 section, the offices described in paragraph (1) may 

5 consult with the Architect of the Capitol, the Sec6 retary of the Smithsonian Institution, and such 

7 other entities of the Federal Government as the of8 fices consider appropriate. 

9 (c) DUTIES OF ARCHITECT.—The Architect of the 

10 Capitol shall— 

11 (1) prepare the Time Capsule to be sealed and 

12 buried on the West Lawn of the Capitol, at a loca13 tion specified by the Architect, on or before July 

14 4th, 2026, at a time which would permit individuals 

15 attending this event to also attend the burial of a 

16 time capsule in Independence Mall in Philadelphia, 

17 Pennsylvania under section 7(f)(1) of the United 

18 States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 

19 (36 U.S.C. 101 note prec.); and 

20 (2) install a plaque to provide such information 

21 about the Time Capsule as the Architect considers 

22 appropriate. 

23 (d) UNSEALING.—The Time Capsule shall be sealed 

24 until July 4th, 2276, on which date the Speaker of the 

25 House of Representatives shall present the Time Capsule 


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1 to the 244th Congress, and such Congress shall determine 

2 how the contents within should be preserved or used. 

3 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

4 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

5 necessary to carry out this Act, and any amounts so ap6 propriated shall remain available until expended. 

Æ 


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