[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H5545-H5546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON THE RECORDS OF CONGRESS SUNSET ACT
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 9360) to sunset the Advisory Committee on the Records of
Congress, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 9360
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 ``Advisory Committee on the
Records of Congress Sunset Act''.
SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION OF THE RECORDS OF
CONGRESS.
(a) Sunset of Advisory Committee on the Records of
Congress.--Effective on the date that is 60 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, title 44, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) by striking chapter 27; and
(2) in the table of chapters, by striking the item relating
to chapter 27.
(b) Report.--Not later than February 1 of the year
beginning after the date of enactment of this Act, and
annually thereafter, the Director shall submit a report on
the management and preservation of the records of Congress
during the previous year to--
(1) the Archivist;
(2) the Secretary;
(3) the Clerk;
(4) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the
Senate; and
(5) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and
the Committee on House Administration of the House of
Representatives.
(c) Review.--The Archivist, the Secretary, and the Clerk
shall meet to review the management and preservation of the
records 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 begins to carry out the duties and
responsibilities of the Archivist, Secretary, or Clerk.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Archivist.--The term ``Archivist'' means the Archivist
of the United States, or any successor thereto.
(2) Clerk.--The term ``Clerk'' means the Clerk of the House
of Representatives.
(3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Center for Legislative Archives of the National Archives,
or any successor thereto.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Senate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Griffith) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.
General Leave
Mr. GRIFFITH. 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 this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Virginia?
[[Page H5546]]
There was no objection.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9360, the Advisory Committee on the Records of
Congress Sunset Act, led by Representative Mary Miller of Illinois, is
an important measure that will modernize how Congress manages its
records.
H.R. 9360 sunsets the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress,
an outdated committee, and replaces it with a more efficient process
for reviewing congressional records.
The bill instructs the Director of the Center for Legislative
Archives of the National Archives to submit an annual report to the
Archivist of the United States, the Clerk of the House, the Secretary
of the Senate, and requisite congressional committees on the management
and preservation of the records of Congress.
By eliminating this obsolete committee, H.R. 9360 provides a more
efficient process for the management and preservation of congressional
records through annual reports and cuts burdensome administrative
hurdles.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress was
created in 1990 to review and advise Congress and the National Archives
on the management and preservation of congressional records.
The House Clerk, who is one of the leaders of the advisory committee,
approached us with this proposal because the committee accomplished its
key goals and is no longer useful in addressing current challenges.
This makes sense because the ways we manage and preserve records have
changed significantly over the last three-and-a-half decades.
Sunsetting this committee will save taxpayer dollars and allow those
resources to be used to improve contemporary archiving practices.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to
the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Miller).
Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my
bill, H.R. 9360, which will sunset the Advisory Committee on the
Records of Congress.
This committee was created in 1990 to advise Congress and the
National Archives on the management and retention of congressional
records.
My bill, however, would eliminate this outdated committee. Due to
advancements in technology over the last several decades and changes in
the way Congress operates, sunsetting this committee is necessary and
will streamline the archival process.
This bill will also maintain oversight of the Center for Legislative
Archives by requiring the center to publish an annual report on the
management and preservation of records. Sunsetting this advisory
committee will furthermore save taxpayers approximately $38,000
annually in operating costs without sacrificing the transparency of
congressional records.
As this advisory committee hits its 36th year, we can agree that the
committee has accomplished its original goals and has met its intended
purpose, thereby outliving its usefulness.
Mr. Speaker, as we continue to improve the efficiency of our
government, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to have the
bill before the House, and I urge all my colleagues to vote in support
of it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I, too, urge my colleagues to support H.R.
9360, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 9360, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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