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S 3705
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Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act

To provide for the creation of a congressional time capsule in commemoration of the semiquincentennial of the United States, and for other purposes.

Introduced Jan 27, 2026

Latest action (Feb 18, 2026) Became Public Law No: 119-79.

Policy area
Congress
Legislative subjects (4)
Congressional leadershipHistorical and cultural resourcesU.S. CapitolU.S. history

Summary

This bill authorizes the Architect of the Capitol to create a congressional time capsule to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. The contents of the time capsule will be jointly determined by the offices of the Speaker of the House, Minority Leader of the House, Majority Leader of the Senate, and Minority Leader of the Senate, and must include a joint letter from these offices along with other items made of durable materials like metal or archival paper. The time capsule will be buried in the Capitol Visitor Center by July 4, 2026, with a plaque installed to provide information about it. The capsule will remain sealed until July 4, 2276, when the Speaker and Majority Leader of the Senate will present it to the 244th Congress to determine how to preserve or use its contents.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
3 cosponsors

Actions (14)
  1. Feb 18, 2026 Became Public Law No: 119-79.
  2. Feb 18, 2026 Signed by President.
  3. Feb 12, 2026 Presented to President. · house
  4. Feb 9, 2026 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  5. Feb 9, 2026 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2046-2047) · house
  6. Feb 9, 2026 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2046-2047)
  7. Feb 9, 2026 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3705. · house
  8. Feb 9, 2026 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2046-2048) · house
  9. Feb 9, 2026 Mrs. Bice moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. · house
  10. Feb 2, 2026 Held at the desk. · house
  11. Feb 2, 2026 Received in the House. · house
  12. Jan 27, 2026 Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S298; text: CR S298) · senate
  13. Jan 27, 2026 Passed/agreed to in Senate: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  14. Jan 27, 2026 Introduced in Senate

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 1834 — To advance policy priorities that will break the gridlock. (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 6243 — Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 469 — Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 212 — Capitol Remembrance Act (shares 3 subjects)
  • S 4828 — Declaration of Independence Reaffirmation Act of 2026 (shares 2 subjects)
  • S 675 — Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act (shares 2 subjects)
  • HCONRES 109 — Allowing Emancipation Hall to be used for a ceremony to dedicate the Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (shares 2 subjects)
  • SCONRES 29 — A concurrent resolution authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for an event to celebrate the birthday of King Kamehameha I. (shares 2 subjects)

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • HR 6243 — Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act · Introduced Nov 21, 2025 · Cong. 119 93%
  • HCONRES 109 — Allowing Emancipation Hall to be used for a ceremony to dedicate the Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. · Passed Senate Jun 18, 2026 · Cong. 119 74%
  • SJRES 96 — A joint resolution requesting the Secretary of the Interior to authorize unique and one-time arrangements for displays on the National Mall and the Washington Monument during the period beginning on December 31, 2025, and ending on January 5, 2026. · Introduced Nov 19, 2025 · Cong. 119 54%
  • HR 8741 — Philadelphia Campaign Two Hundred and Fiftieth Commemoration Commission Act · Introduced May 12, 2026 · Cong. 119 52%
  • HJRES 133 — Requesting the Secretary of the Interior to authorize unique and one-time arrangements for displays on the National Mall and the Washington Monument during the period beginning on December 31, 2025, and ending on January 5, 2026. · Became Law Dec 2, 2025 · Cong. 119 50%
  • HR 9360 — Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress Sunset Act · Introduced Jun 24, 2026 · Cong. 119 49%

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 27, 2026

Mr. Tillis (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following bill; which was considered, read the third time, and passed

A BILL

To provide for the creation of a congressional time capsule in commemoration of the semiquincentennial of the United States, 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 “Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act”.

SEC. 2. SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL CONGRESSIONAL TIME CAPSULE.

(a) Creation by Architect of the Capitol.—The Architect of the Capitol shall create a congressional time capsule, to be known as the “Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule” (in this Act referred to as the “Time Capsule”).

(b) Contents.—

(1) Determination by congressional leadership.—The Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Office of the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Office of the Majority Leader of the Senate, and Office of the Minority Leader of the Senate shall jointly determine the contents of the Time Capsule, taking into account the requirements of paragraph (2).

(2) Contents.—

(A) In general.—The contents of the Time Capsule shall include—

(i) a single, joint letter from the offices described in paragraph (1); and

(ii) any other item that the offices described in paragraph (1) jointly determine appropriate.

(B) Limitations.—Any item included in the Time Capsule under subparagraph (A)—

(i) shall be made of materials that pose a low risk of degrading, such as metal or archival paper; and

(ii) shall not be made of any organic or inorganic material that poses a high risk of degrading.

(3) Size.—The Time Capsule shall be not more than 50 inches wide, 32 inches deep, and 48 inches high.

(4) Consultation.—In carrying out this subsection, the offices described in paragraph (1) may consult with the Architect of the Capitol, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and such other entities of the Federal Government as the offices consider appropriate.

(c) Duties of Architect.—The Architect of the Capitol shall—

(1) prepare the Time Capsule to be sealed and buried in the Capitol Visitor Center, at a location specified by the Architect, with the approval of the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate and the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives, on or before July 4th, 2026, at a time which would permit individuals attending this event to also attend the burial of a time capsule in Independence Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under section 7(f)(1) of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016 (36 U.S.C. 101 note prec.); and

(2) install a plaque to provide such information about the Time Capsule as the Architect, with the approval of the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate and the Committee on House Administration of the House of Representatives, considers appropriate.

(d) Unsealing.—The Time Capsule shall be sealed until July 4th, 2276, on which date the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader of the Senate shall present the Time Capsule to the 244th Congress, and such Congress shall determine how the contents within should be preserved or used. <all>

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