National Historical Publications and Records Commission Amendments of 1988
PL 100-365 (S.1856), enacted 07/13/1988

PUBLIC LAW 100-365—JULY 13, 1988 
102 STAT. 823 
Public Law 100-
100th Congress 
365 
An Act 
To amend chapter 25 of title 44, United States Code, to provide an authorization for 
the National Historical Publications and Records Commission programs, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the "National Historical Publications 
and Records Commission Amendments of 1988". 
SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIPS AND TERMS OF MEMBERS OF COMMISSION. 
(a) MEMBERSHIP.—Section 2501 of title 44, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
"§ 2501. Creation; composition; appointment and tenure; meetings 
"(a) The National Historical Publications and Records Commis-
sion shall consist of 15 members as follows: 
"(1) the following ex officio members: 
"(A) the Archivist of the United States, who shall be 
chairman; 
"(B) the Librarian of Congress (or an alternate designated 
by the Librarian); 
"(C) one Senator, appointed by the President of the 
Senate; 
"(D) one Representative, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives; 
"(E) one member of the judicial branch of the Govern-
ment, appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States; 
"(F) one representative of the Department of State to be 
appointed by the Secretary of State; and 
"(G) one representative of the Department of Defense to 
be appointed by the Secretary of Defense; 
"(2) one member from each of the following organizations, 
appointed by the governing council or board of the respective 
organization: 
"(A) the American Historical Association; 
"(B) the Organization of American Historians; 
"(C) the Society of American Archivists; 
"(D) the American Association for State and Local 
History; 
"(E) the Association for Documentary Editing; and 
"(F) the National Association for Government Archives 
and Records Administrators; and 
"(3) two other members, outstanding in the fields of the social 
or physical sciences, the arts, or archival or library science, 
appointed by the President of the United States. 
"(b)(1) The members appointed under subsection (a) shall be 
appointed for terms of 4 years, except that— 
July 13, 1988 
[S. 1856] 
National 
Historical 
Publications and 
Records 
Commission 
Amendments of 
1988 
44 u s e 101 note. 
102 STAT. 824 
PUBLIC LAW 100-365—JULY 13, 1988 
"(A) a member appointed under subsection (a)(1)(D) shall be 
appointed for a term of 2 years; and 
"(B) the Archivist and the Librarian of Congress are perma-
nent ex officio members. 
"(2) A member may continue to serve after the expiration of a 
term until a successor has been appointed, but not to exceed one 
year. 
"(c) The Commission shall meet at least annually and at call of 
the Chairman.". 
44 use 2501 
(b) 
EFFECTIVE DATE AND IMPLEMENTATION 
OF STAGGERING 
OF 
"o<*- 
TERMS.—The amendment made by this section shall be effective on 
January 1, 1989, and shall apply to the appointment of any member 
on the expiration of a predecessor's term as follows: 
(1) The next two members appointed to such Commission 
after such date shall be appointed pursuant to section 2501(a)(2) 
(E) and (F) of title 44, United States Code, as amended by this 
section. 
(2) Notwithstanding section 2501(b)(1), the first members 
appointed pursuant to section 2501(a)(2) (B) and (C) after Janu-
ary 1, 1991, shall be appointed for terms of one year. 
SEC. 3. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STAFF, TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES. 
Section 2503 of title 44, United States Code, is amended to read as 
follows: 
"§ 2503. Executive director, staff, transportation expenses 
"(a) The Commission may appoint, without reference to chapter 51 
of title 5, an executive director. The Chairman may appoint such 
other employees as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of 
this chapter. 
"(b) Members of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses 
(including per diem allowance in lieu of subsistence) in the same 
amount and to the same extent as persons serving intermittently in 
the Government service are allowed travel expenses under section 
5703 of title 5, United States Code.". 
SEC. 4. DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS. 
Section 2504 of title 44, United States Code, is amended to read as 
follows: 
"§ 2504. Duties; authorization of grants for historical publications 
and records programs; authorization for appropriations 
"(a) The Commission shall make plans, estimates, and rec-
ommendations for historical works and collections of sources it 
considers appropriate for preserving, publishing or otherwise record-
ing at the public expense. The Chairman of the Commission shall 
transmit to the President and the Congress from time to time, and 
at least biennially, the plans, estimates, and recommendations 
developed and approved by the Commission. 
"(b) The Commission shall cooperate with, assist and encourage 
appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies and nongovernmental 
institutions, societies, and individuals in collecting and preserving 
and, when it considers it desirable, in editing and publishing papers 
of outstanding citizens of the United States, and other documents as 
may be important for an understanding and appreciation of the 
history of the United States. 
PUBLIC LAW 100-365—JULY 13, 1988 
102 STAT. 825 
"(c) The Commission may conduct institutes, training and edu-
cational programs, and recommend candidates for fellowships re-
lated to the activities of the Commission and may disseminate 
information about documentary sources through guides, directories, 
and other technical publications. 
"(d) The Commission may recommend the expenditure of appro-
priated or donated funds for the collecting, describing, preserving, 
compiling and publishing (including microfilming and other forms of 
reproduction) of documentary sources significant to the history of 
the United States and for the activities described in subsection (c). 
"(e) The Archivist of the United States may, within the limits of 
available appropriated and donated funds, make grants to State and 
local agencies and to nonprofit organizations, institutions, and 
individuals, for those activities in subsection (d) after considering 
the advice and recommendations of the Commission. 
"(f)(1) For the purposes specified in this section, there is hereby 
authorized to be appropriated to the National Historical Publica-
tions and Records Commission— 
"(A) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 1989; 
"(B) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 1990; and 
"(C) $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1991, 1992, and 
1993. 
"(2) Amounts appropriated under this subsection shall be avail-
able until expended when so provided in appropriation Acts.". 
SEC. 5. CONFORMING AMENDMENT. 
The table of contents for chapter 25 of title 44, United States Code, 
is amended to read as follows: 
"Sec. 
"2501. Creation; composition; appointment and tenure; vacancies; meetings. 
"2502. Vacancies. 
"2503. Executive director; staff; transportation expenses. 
"2504. Duties; authorization of grants for historical publications and records pro-
grams; authorization for appropriations. 
"2505. Special advisory committees; membership; reimbursement. 
"2506. Records to be kept by grantees.". 
Approved July 13, 1988. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1856 (H.R. 3933): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 100-533 accompanying H.R. 3933 (Comm. on Government 
CJ 
D6i*3.11 
o ns) 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 100-330 (Comm. on Governmental Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 134 (1988): 
Mar. 30, H.R. 3933 considered and passed House. 
June 13, S. 1856 considered and passed Senate. 
June 30, considered and passed House.