Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act
Latest action · Feb 18, 2026 Became Public Law No: 119-79.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 27, 2026
- Passed SenateJan 27, 2026
- Passed HouseFeb 9, 2026
- To the PresidentFeb 12, 2026
- Became lawFeb 18, 2026
Summary
Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act
This act requires the Architect of the Capitol to create a congressional time capsule in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence to be buried in the Capitol Visitor Center on or before July 4, 2026.
The time capsule shall contain a joint letter from congressional leadership (the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate) and such other contents as they shall determine.
The act directs the Architect of the Capitol to also install a plaque about the time capsule, subject to the approval of the Committee on House Administration of the House and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.
The time capsule shall be sealed until July 4, 2276. On that date, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader shall present the time capsule to the 244th Congress.
Cosponsors 3
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jan 27, 2026.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-CA | Alex Padilla | Original | Jan 27, 2026 |
| R-IA | Chuck Grassley | Original | Jan 27, 2026 |
| D-NH | Jeanne Shaheen | Original | Jan 27, 2026 |
Actions 15
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 18, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-79.
- Feb 18, 2026Signed by President.
- Feb 12, 2026Presented to President.
- Feb 9, 2026Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2046-2048)
- Feb 9, 2026DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3705.
- Feb 9, 2026Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Feb 9, 2026Mrs. Bice moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Feb 9, 2026On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2046-2047)
- Feb 9, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- Feb 9, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2046-2047)
- Feb 2, 2026Held at the desk.
- Feb 2, 2026Received in the House.
- Jan 27, 2026Introduced in Senate
- Jan 27, 2026Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S298; text: CR S298)
- Jan 27, 2026Passed/agreed to in Senate: Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 6243 | Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act | Related bill | Nov 21, 2025 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Congress.
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Jan 27, 2026Considered and Passed Senate
- Jan 27, 2026Engrossed in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.