Library of Congress Modernization Act of 2016

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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Library of Congress Modernization Act of 2016 2. Authorizing National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to provide playback equipment in all formats (a) In general The first sentence of the Act entitled An Act to provide books for the adult blind 2 U.S.C. 135a and for purchase, maintenance, and replacement of reproducers for such sound-reproduction recordings and for purchase, maintenance, and replacement of reproducers for any such forms (b) Effective date This amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2017 and each succeeding fiscal year. 3. Library of Congress National Collection Stewardship Fund (a) Establishment There is hereby established in the Treasury of the United States, as an account for the Librarian of Congress, the Library of Congress National Collection Stewardship Fund Fund (b) Use of Amounts Amounts in the Fund may be used by the Librarian as follows: (1) The Librarian may use amounts directly for the purpose of preparing collection materials of the Library of Congress for long-term storage. (2) The Librarian may transfer amounts to the Architect of the Capitol for the purpose of designing, constructing, altering, upgrading, and equipping collections preservation and storage facilities for the Library of Congress, or for the purpose of acquiring real property by lease for the preservation and storage of Library of Congress collections in accordance with section 1102 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2009 ( 2 U.S.C. 1823a (c) Contents of Fund The Fund shall consist of the following amounts: (1) Such amounts as may be transferred by the Librarian from amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the Library of Congress under the heading Salaries and Expenses (2) Such amounts as may be transferred by the Architect of the Capitol from amounts appropriated for any fiscal year for the Office of the Architect of the Capitol under the heading Library of Congress Buildings and Grounds (3) Such amounts as may be appropriated to the Fund under law. (d) Continuing Availability of Funds Any amounts in the Fund shall remain available until expended. (e) Annual Report Not later than 180 days after the end of each fiscal year, the Librarian and the Architect of the Capitol shall submit a joint report on the Fund to the Joint Committee on the Library and the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate. (f) Initial 5-Year Plan Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Librarian shall submit to the Joint Committee on the Library and the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report providing a plan for expenditures from the Fund for the first 5 fiscal years of the Fund’s operation. (g) Effective date This section shall apply with respect to fiscal year 2017 and each succeeding fiscal year. 4. Continuation of service of returning members of Joint Committee on the Library at beginning of Congress (a) Continuation of Service (1) In general During the period beginning on the first day of a Congress and ending on the date described in paragraph (2), any Member of Congress who served as a member of the Joint Committee on the Library during the previous Congress shall continue to serve as a member of the Joint Committee. (2) Date described The date described in this paragraph is, with respect to a Congress— (A) in the case of a Member of Congress who is a Member of the House of Representatives, the date on which Members of the House are appointed to serve on the Joint Committee for the Congress; and (B) in the case of a Member of Congress who is a Senator, the date on which Senators are appointed to serve on the Joint Committee for the Congress. (3) Conforming Amendment The final undesignated paragraph under the heading Senate. 2 U.S.C. 133 (b) Transitional chairmanship prior to first organizational meeting During the period beginning on the first day of a Congress and ending on the date of the first organizational meeting of the Joint Committee on the Library, the Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library shall be determined as follows: (1) If the member who served as Chairman during the previous Congress is appointed to serve on the Joint Committee for such Congress, such member shall serve as Chairman during such period. (2) If the member who served as Chairman during the previous Congress is not appointed to serve on the Joint Committee for such Congress but the member who served as Vice Chairman during the previous Congress is appointed to serve on the Joint Committee for such Congress, the member who served as Vice Chairman shall serve as Chairman during such period. (3) If neither the member who served as Chairman nor the member who served as Vice Chairman during the previous Congress is appointed to serve on the Joint Committee for such Congress— (A) the member who is the Chairman of the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives shall serve as Chairman during such period if the Chairman during the previous Congress was a Member of the House of Representatives; or (B) the member who is the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate shall serve as Chairman during such period if the Chairman during the previous Congress was a Senator. (c) Effective Date This section and the amendment made by this section shall apply with respect to the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress and each succeeding Congress. September 28, 2016 The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Summary: Library of Congress Modernization Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill authorizes the Library of Congress to purchase, maintain, or replace reproducers for books published either in raised characters, on sound-reproduction recordings, or in any other form (currently limited to reproducers of sound-reproduction recordings) for the use of the blind and for other physically disabled U.S. residents. (Sec. 3) The bill establishes the Library of Congress National Collection Stewardship Fund, whose amounts may be used for: preparing collection materials for long-term storage; and transferring amounts to the Architect of the Capitol for designing, constructing, altering, upgrading, and equipping collections preservation and storage facilities for the Library of Congress, or for acquiring real property by lease for the preservation and storage of Library of Congress collections. The Library of Congress shall report a plan for expenditures from the fund in its first five fiscal years of operation. (Sec. 4) The bill requires continued service on the Joint Committee on the Library in a new Congress, until new committee members are appointed, of Members of Congress who served on such Committee in the previous Congress. The bill also sets forth requirements for determining who shall serve as Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Library before its first organizational meeting in a new Congress.