[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 186 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H7153]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE RECORDS OF CONGRESS SUNSET ACT OF 2024
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 9489) to sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of
Congress, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 9489
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Advisory
Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION OF THE RECORDS OF
CONGRESS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``Archivist'' means the Archivist of the
United States;
(2) the term ``Clerk'' means the Clerk of the House of
Representatives;
(3) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Center
for Legislative Archives of the National Archives, or any
successor thereto;
(4) the term ``Member of Congress'' means a Member of the
Senate or the House of Representatives, a Delegate to the
House of Representatives, and the Resident Commissioner from
Puerto Rico; and
(5) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the
Senate.
(b) Reporting.--Not later than February 1 of the second
calendar year beginning after the date of enactment of this
Act, and every calendar year thereafter, the Director shall
submit to the Archivist, the Secretary, and the Clerk a
report on the management and preservation of the records of
Congress during the previous year.
(c) Review.--The Archivist, the Secretary, and the Clerk
shall meet to review the management and preservation of the
records of Congress and Members of Congress--
(1) not later than 60 days after the date on which the
Director submits a report under subsection (b); and
(2) not later than 180 days after the date on which an
individual is appointed to the position of Archivist,
Secretary, or Clerk.
(d) Sunset of Advisory Committee.--Effective on the date
that is 60 days after enactment, title 44 of the United
States Code is amended--
(1) by striking chapter 27;
(2) by striking the table of sections relating to chapter
27; and
(3) in the table of chapters, by striking the item relating
to chapter 27.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.
General Leave
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 9489.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Wisconsin?
There was no objection.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9489, the Advisory Committee
on the Records of Congress Sunset Act. This measure will sunset an
outdated advisory committee and replace it with meaningful reporting
requirements.
The Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress was created in 1990
to assist with management and preservation. Since then, the advisory
committee has released six detailed reports and continues to meet
semiannually. This advisory committee has successfully met its purpose
of advising Congress on records management and preservation.
Today, the House Clerk, Secretary of the Senate, and National
Archives representatives regularly connect on records management. This
close working relationship renders the regular convening of the
advisory committee as a check-the-box exercise.
Based on feedback we received from House officers and advisory
committee members, this legislation sunsets the advisory committee and
replaces it with reporting requirements of the House, Senate, and
Center of the Legislative Archives. This will ensure records management
and preservation while saving taxpayer dollars on repetitive
convenings.
I would like to take a moment to thank the House Clerk and their team
for their work on this advisory committee.
I also would like to recognize the service of Danna Bell, the House
Clerk's appointee to the advisory committee, who passed away earlier
this year. Ms. Bell was a librarian, archivist, former president of the
Society of American Archivists, and a helpful resource for our team as
we learned more about this advisory committee. She was a dedicated
public servant committed to service. I offer my condolences to her
family, friends, and colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 9489, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9489. I also echo the
words by my colleague and friend, Mr. Steil, regarding the life of
Danna Bell, who worked here in the House. She had a long record of many
contributions to not only this institution but our country.
I rise in support of H.R. 9489, the bipartisan legislation that would
sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress, allowing us
to allocate our limited resources more efficiently. The advisory
committee, as my friend has indicated, was established in 1990 and was
tasked with reviewing and advising Congress and the National Archives
on the management and preservation of congressional records.
The House Clerk, one of the committee's leaders, has suggested it
sunset, as it has fulfilled its primary objectives and is no longer
necessary for addressing the evolving challenges of preserving
congressional records.
Over the past 34 years, advancements in technology and the increasing
volume of materials to be preserved have dramatically changed, and the
landscape of record preservation has changed with it.
By disbanding this advisory committee, we can redirect valuable
resources toward enhancing modern archiving practices while saving
taxpayer dollars. As we all know, congressional resources are finite--I
think we know that all too well--and need to be used efficiently to
ensure the continued success of this institution and its service on
behalf of the American people.
I extend my thanks to the House Clerk, the Honorable Kevin McCumber,
and his entire team for their leadership on this initiative.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleagues and the staff for
doing this and for the leadership of the Clerk's Office to find a way
for us to end practices that are no longer useful and allow us to be
able to focus more on the challenges we face moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Morelle, for his
work on this. As we all know, in the United States House of
Representatives, actually sunsetting almost anything is one of the most
challenging projects you can do, and I am proud to say that we have
accomplished that with this piece of legislation.
The process involved a lot of work from the Clerk and others to make
sure this was done. A little bit of efficiency in the House can go a
long way. Take the wins where you get them.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of sunsetting this
advisory committee, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 9489.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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