I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5227 

To authorize the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically 

Handicapped to provide playback equipment in all forms, to establish 

a National Collection Stewardship Fund for the processing and storage 

of collection materials of the Library of Congress, and to provide for 

the continuation of service of returning members of Joint Committee 

on the Library at beginning of a Congress. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 13, 2016 

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan (for herself, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, and Mr. 

HARPER) 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 authorize the National Library Service for the Blind 

and Physically Handicapped to provide playback equipment in all forms, to establish a National Collection 

Stewardship Fund for the processing and storage of collection materials of the Library of Congress, and to 

provide for the continuation of service of returning members of Joint Committee on the Library at beginning 

of a Congress. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Library of Congress 

3 Modernization Act of 2016’’. 

4 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZING NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE FOR 

5 THE BLIND AND PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED 

6 TO PROVIDE PLAYBACK EQUIPMENT IN ALL 

7 FORMATS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The first sentence of the Act enti9 tled ‘‘An Act to provide books for the adult blind’’, ap10 proved March 3, 1931 (2 U.S.C. 135a), is amended by 

11 striking ‘‘and for purchase, maintenance, and replacement 

12 of reproducers for such sound-reproduction recordings’’ 

13 and inserting ‘‘and for purchase, maintenance, and re14 placement of reproducers for any such forms’’. 

15 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This amendment made by 

16 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2017 

17 and each succeeding fiscal year. 

18 SEC. 3. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS NATIONAL COLLECTION 

19 STEWARDSHIP FUND. 

20 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established in 

21 the Treasury of the United States, as an account for the 

22 Librarian of Congress, the ‘‘Library of Congress National 

23 Collection Stewardship Fund’’ (hereafter in this section 

24 referred to as the ‘‘Fund’’). 

25 (b) USE OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts in the Fund may 

26 be used by the Librarian as follows: 


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1 (1) The Librarian may use amounts directly for 

2 the purpose of preparing collection materials of the 

3 Library of Congress for long-term storage. 

4 (2) The Librarian may transfer amounts to the 

5 Architect of the Capitol for the purpose of designing, 

6 constructing, altering, upgrading, and equipping col7 lections preservation and storage facilities for the Li8 brary of Congress, or for the purpose of acquiring 

9 real property by lease for the preservation and stor10 age of Library of Congress collections in accordance 

11 with section 1102 of the Legislative Branch Appro12 priations Act, 2009 (2 U.S.C. 1823a). 

13 (c) CONTENTS OF FUND.—The Fund shall consist of 

14 the following amounts: 

15 (1) Such amounts as may be transferred by the 

16 Librarian from amounts appropriated for any fiscal 

17 year for the Library of Congress under the heading 

18 ‘‘Salaries and Expenses’’. 

19 (2) Such amounts as may be transferred by the 

20 Architect of the Capitol from amounts appropriated 

21 for any fiscal year for the Office of the Architect of 

22 the Capitol under the heading ‘‘Library of Congress 

23 Buildings and Grounds’’. 

24 (3) Such amounts as may be appropriated to 

25 the Fund under law. 


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1 (d) CONTINUING AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Any 

2 amounts in the Fund shall remain available until ex3 pended. 

4 (e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 

5 the end of each fiscal year, the Librarian and the Architect 

6 of the Capitol shall submit a joint report on the Fund to 

7 the Joint Committee on the Library and the Committees 

8 on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 

9 Senate. 

10 (f) INITIAL 5-YEAR PLAN.—Not later than 6 months 

11 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Librarian 

12 shall submit to the Joint Committee on the Library and 

13 the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Rep14 resentatives and the Senate a report providing a plan for 

15 expenditures from the Fund for the first 5 fiscal years 

16 of the Fund’s operation. 

17 (g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 

18 respect to fiscal year 2017 and each succeeding fiscal year. 

19 SEC. 4. CONTINUATION OF SERVICE OF RETURNING MEM20 BERS OF JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE LI21 BRARY AT BEGINNING OF CONGRESS. 

22 (a) CONTINUATION OF SERVICE.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—During the period beginning 

24 on the first day of a Congress and ending on the 

25 date described in paragraph (2), any Member of 


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1 Congress who served as a member of the Joint Com2 mittee on the Library during the previous Congress 

3 shall continue to serve as a member of the Joint 

4 Committee. 

5 (2) DATE DESCRIBED.—The date described in 

6 this paragraph is, with respect to a Congress— 

7 (A) in the case of a Member of Congress 

8 who is a Member of the House of Representa9 tives, the date on which Members of the House 

10 are appointed to serve on the Joint Committee 

11 for the Congress; and 

12 (B) in the case of a Member of Congress 

13 who is a Senator, the date on which Senators 

14 are appointed to serve on the Joint Committee 

15 for the Congress. 

16 (3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The final un17 designated paragraph under the heading ‘‘Senate.’’ 

18 in section 2 of the Act of March 3, 1883 (chapter 

19 141; 22 Stat. 592) (2 U.S.C. 133), is hereby re20 pealed. 

21 (b) TRANSITIONAL CHAIRMANSHIP PRIOR TO FIRST

22 ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING.—During the period begin23 ning on the first day of a Congress and ending on the 

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1 mittee on the Library, the Chairman of the Joint Com2 mittee on the Library shall be determined as follows: 

3 (1) If the member who served as Chairman dur4 ing the previous Congress is appointed to serve on 

5 the Joint Committee for such Congress, such mem6 ber shall serve as Chairman during such period. 

7 (2) If the member who served as Chairman dur8 ing the previous Congress is not appointed to serve 

9 on the Joint Committee for such Congress but the 

10 member who served as Vice Chairman during the 

11 previous Congress is appointed to serve on the Joint 

12 Committee for such Congress, the member who 

13 served as Vice Chairman shall serve as Chairman 

14 during such period. 

15 (3) If neither the member who served as Chair16 man nor the member who served as Vice Chairman 

17 during the previous Congress is appointed to serve 

18 on the Joint Committee for such Congress— 

19 (A) the member who is the Chairman of 

20 the Committee on House Administration of the 

21 House of Representatives shall serve as Chair22 man during such period if the Chairman during 

23 the previous Congress was a Member of the 

24 House of Representatives; or 


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1 (B) the member who is the Chairman of 

2 the Committee on Rules and Administration of 

3 the Senate shall serve as Chairman during such 

4 period if the Chairman during the previous 

5 Congress was a Senator. 

6 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend7 ment made by this section shall apply with respect to the 

8 One Hundred Fifteenth Congress and each succeeding 

9 Congress. 

Æ 


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