SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Electronic Message 
Preservation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PRESERVATION OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGES. 
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR PRESERVATION OF ELEC-
TRONIC MESSAGES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 29 of title 44, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 2911. Electronic messages 
‘‘(a) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of the enactment of this section, 
the Archivist shall promulgate regulations governing agen-
cy preservation of electronic messages that are records. 
Such regulations shall, at a minimum— 
‘‘(1) require the electronic capture, manage-
ment, and preservation of such electronic records in 
accordance with the records disposition requirements 
of chapter 33 of this title; 
‘‘(2) require that such electronic records are 
readily accessible for retrieval through electronic 
searches; 
‘‘(3) establish mandatory minimum functional 
requirements for electronic records management sys-
tems to ensure compliance with the requirements in 
paragraphs (1) and (2);
‘‘(4) establish a process to certify that Federal 
agencies’ electronic records management systems 
meet the functional requirements established under 
paragraph (3); and 
‘‘(5) include timelines for agency compliance 
with the regulations that ensure compliance as expe-
ditiously as practicable but not later than four years 
after the date of the enactment of this section. 
‘‘(b) 
COVERAGE
OF
OTHER
ELECTRONIC 
RECORDS.—To the extent practicable, the regulations pro-
mulgated under subsection (a) shall also include require-
ments for the capture, management, and preservation of 
other electronic records. 
‘‘(c) COMPLIANCE BY FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Each 
Federal agency shall comply with the regulations promul-
gated under subsection (a). 
‘‘(d) REVIEW
OF REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—The 
Archivist shall periodically review and, as necessary, 
amend the regulations promulgated under this section. 
‘‘(e) REPORTS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF REGULA-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(1) AGENCY
REPORT
TO
ARCHIVIST.—Not 
later than four years after the date of the enactment 
of this section, the head of each Federal agency shall 
submit to the Archivist a report on the agency’s
compliance with the regulations promulgated under 
this section. 
‘‘(2) ARCHIVIST REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not 
later than 90 days after receipt of all reports re-
quired by paragraph (1), the Archivist shall submit 
to the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform of the House 
of Representatives a report on Federal agency com-
pliance with the regulations promulgated under this 
section.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for chapter 29 of title 44, United States Code, 
is amended by adding after the item relating to sec-
tion 2910 the following new item: 
‘‘2911. Electronic messages.’’. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 2901 of title 44, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph 
(14); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (15) and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(16) the term ‘electronic messages’ means 
electronic mail and other electronic messaging sys-
tems that are used for purposes of communicating 
between individuals; and 
‘‘(17) the term ‘electronic records management 
system’ means a software system designed to man-
age electronic records within an information tech-
nology system, including by— 
‘‘(A) categorizing and locating records; 
‘‘(B) ensuring that records are retained as 
long as necessary; 
‘‘(C) identifying records that are due for 
disposition; and 
‘‘(D) the storage, retrieval, and disposition 
of records.’’. 
SEC. 3. PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS. 
(a) ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS RELATING TO PRESI-
DENTIAL RECORDS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 2206 of title 44, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (3); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
paragraph (4) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) provisions for establishing standards nec-
essary for the economical and efficient management
of Presidential records during the President’s term 
of office, including— 
‘‘(A) records management controls nec-
essary for the capture, management, and pres-
ervation of electronic messages; 
‘‘(B) records management controls nec-
essary to ensure that electronic messages are 
readily accessible for retrieval through elec-
tronic searches; and 
‘‘(C) a process to certify the electronic 
records management system to be used by the 
President for the purposes of complying with 
the requirements in subparagraphs (A) and 
(B).’’. 
(2) DEFINITION.—Section 2201 of title 44, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(5) The term ‘electronic messages’ has the 
meaning provided in section 2901(16) of this title. 
‘‘(6) The term ‘electronic records management 
system’ has the meaning provided in section 
2901(17) of this title.’’. 
(b) CERTIFICATION OF PRESIDENT’S MANAGEMENT 
OF PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS.—
(1) CERTIFICATION REQUIRED.—Chapter 22 of 
title 44, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 2208. Certification of the President’s management 
of Presidential records 
‘‘(a) ANNUAL CERTIFICATION.—The Archivist shall 
annually certify whether the records management controls 
established by the President meet requirements under sec-
tions 2203(a) and 2206(5) of this title. 
‘‘(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Archivist shall re-
port annually to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
Representatives on the status of the certification.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for chapter 22 of title 44, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new 
item: 
‘‘2208. Certification of the President’s management of Presidential records.’’. 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Section 2203(f) of title 
44, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(4) One year following the conclusion of a Presi-
dent’s term of office, or if a President serves consecutive 
terms one year following the conclusion of the last term, 
the Archivist shall submit to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the 
House of Representatives a report on— 
‘‘(A) the volume and format of Presidential 
records deposited into that President’s Presidential 
archival depository; and 
‘‘(B) whether the records management controls 
of that President met the requirements under sec-
tions 2203(a) and 2206(5) of this title.’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 4. PROCEDURES TO PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED RE-
MOVAL OF CLASSIFIED RECORDS FROM NA-
TIONAL ARCHIVES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Archivist of the United 
States shall prescribe internal procedures to prevent the 
unauthorized removal of classified records from the Na-
tional Archives and Records Administration or the de-
struction or damage of such records, including when such 
records are accessed or searched electronically. The proce-
dures shall include the following prohibitions: 
(1) No person, other than personnel of the Na-
tional Archives and Records Administration (in this 
section hereafter referred to as ‘‘NARA personnel’’),
shall view classified records in any room that is not 
secure except in the presence of NARA personnel or 
under video surveillance. 
(2) No person, other than NARA personnel, 
shall at any time be left alone with classified 
records, unless that person is under video surveil-
lance. 
(3) No person, other than NARA personnel, 
shall conduct any review of documents while in the 
possession of any cell phone or other personal com-
munication device. 
(4) All persons seeking access to classified 
records, as a precondition to such access, must con-
sent to a search of their belongings upon conclusion 
of their records review. 
(5) All notes and other writings prepared by 
persons during the course of a review of classified 
records shall be retained by the National Archives 
and Records Administration in a secure facility. 
(b) DEFINITION OF RECORDS.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘records’’ has the meaning provided in section 3301 
of title 44, United States Code.
SEC. 5. RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS TO PRESIDENTIAL 
RECORDS. 
Section 2204 of title 44, United States Code (relating 
to restrictions on access to presidential records) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(f) The Archivist shall not make available any origi-
nal presidential records to any individual claiming access 
to any presidential record as a designated representative 
under section 2205(3) if that individual has been convicted 
of a crime relating to the review, retention, removal, or 
destruction of records of the Archives.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 9, 2008. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5811 
AN ACT 
To amend title 44, United States Code, to require 
preservation of certain electronic records by Fed-
eral agencies, to require a certification and re-
ports relating to Presidential records, and for 
other purposes.