IB
Union Calendar No. 333
104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 1734
[Report No. 104–558, Part I]
To reauthorize the National Film Preservation Board, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 25, 1995
Mr. MOORHEAD (for himself, Mr. COBLE, and Mr. BONO) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and
in addition to the Committee on House Oversight, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
MARCH 6, 1996
Reported from the Committee on the Judiciary with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
MAY 6, 1996
Referral to the Committee on House Oversight extended for a period ending
not later than June 21, 1996
JUNE 21, 1996
Referral to the Committee on House Oversight extended for a period ending
not later than June 28, 1996
JUNE 28, 1996
Additional sponsor: Mr. CONYERS
JUNE 28, 1996
Committee on House Oversight discharged; committed to the Committee of
the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 25, 1995]
A BILL
To reauthorize the National Film Preservation Board, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
TITLE I—REAUTHORIZATION OF
THE NATIONAL FILM PRESER-
VATION BOARD
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘National Film Preser-
vation Act of 1996’’.
SEC. 102. NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY OF THE LIBRARY OF
CONGRESS.
The Librarian of Congress (hereafter in this Act re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Librarian’’) shall continue the National
Film Registry established and maintained under the Na-
tional Film Preservation Act of 1988 (Public Law 100–
446), and the National Film Preservation Act of 1992 (Pub-
lic Law 102–307) pursuant to the provisions of this title,
for the purpose of maintaining and preserving films that
are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
SEC. 103. DUTIES OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS.
(a) POWERS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Librarian shall, after
consultation with the Board established pursuant to
section 104—
(A) continue the implementation of the com-
prehensive national film preservation program
for motion pictures established under the Na-
tional Film Preservation Act of 1992, in con-
junction with other film archivists, educators
and historians, copyright owners, film industry
representatives, and others involved in activities
related to film preservation, taking into account
the objectives of the national film preservation
study and the comprehensive national plan con-
ducted under the National Film Preservation Act
of 1992. This program shall—
(i) coordinate activities to assure that
efforts of archivists and copyright owners,
and others in the public and private sector,
are effective and complementary;
(ii) generate public awareness of and
support for these activities;
(iii) increase accessibility of films for
educational purposes; and
(iv) undertake studies and investiga-
tions of film preservation activities as need-
ed, including the efficacy of new tech-
nologies, and recommend solutions to im-
prove these practices;
(B) establish criteria and procedures under
which films may be included in the National
Film Registry, except that no film shall be eligi-
ble for inclusion in the National Film Registry
until 10 years after such film’s first publication;
(C) establish procedures under which the
general public may make recommendations to
the Board regarding the inclusion of films in the
National Film Registry; and
(D) determine which films satisfy the cri-
teria established under subparagraph (B) and
qualify for inclusion in the National Film Reg-
istry, except that the Librarian shall not select
more than 25 films each year for inclusion in the
Registry.
(2) PUBLICATION OF FILMS IN REGISTRY.—The
Librarian shall publish in the Federal Register the
name of each film that is selected for inclusion in the
National Film Registry.
(3) SEAL.—The Librarian shall provide a seal to
indicate that a film has been included in the National
Film Registry and is the Registry version of that
film. The Librarian shall establish guidelines for ap-
proval of the use of the seal in accordance with sub-
section (b).
(b) USE OF SEAL.—The seal provided under subsection
(a)(3) may only be used on film copies of the Registry ver-
sion of a film. Such seal may be used only after the Librar-
ian has given approval to those persons seeking to apply
the seal in accordance with the guidelines under subsection
(a)(3). In the case of copyrighted works, only the copyright
owner or an authorized licensee of the copyright owner may
place or authorize the placement of the seal on any film
copy of a Registry version of a film selected for inclusion
in the National Film Registry, and the Librarian may
place the seal on any film copy of the Registry version of
any film that is maintained in the National Film Registry
Collection in the Library of Congress. Anyone authorized
to place the seal on any film copy of any Registry version
of a film may accompany such seal with the following lan-
guage: ‘‘This film was selected for inclusion in the National
Film Registry by the National Film Preservation Board of
the Library of Congress because of its cultural, historical,
or aesthetic significance.’’.
SEC. 104. NATIONAL FILM PRESERVATION BOARD.
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—
(1) MEMBERS.—The Librarian shall establish in
the Library of Congress a National Film Preservation
Board to be comprised of 20 members, who shall be
selected by the Librarian in accordance with this sec-
tion. Subject to subparagraphs (C) and (N), the Li-
brarian shall request each organization listed in sub-
paragraphs (A) through (Q) to submit a list of 3 can-
didates qualified to serve as a member of the Board.
Except for the members-at-large appointed under sub-
paragraph (2), the Librarian shall appoint one mem-
ber from each such list submitted by such organiza-
tions, and shall designate from that list an alternate
who may attend at Board expense those meetings to
which the individual appointed to the Board cannot
attend. The organizations are the following:
(A) The Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences.
(B) The Directors Guild of America.
(C) The Writers Guild of America. The
Writers Guild of America East and the Writers
Guild of America West shall each nominate three
candidates, and a representative from one orga-
nization shall be selected as the member and a
representative from the other organization as the
alternate.