Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act

The bill would require the Architect of the Capitol to create a congressional time capsule commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence. The capsule must be buried on the West Lawn of the Capitol at a location the Architect specifies, on or before July 4, 2026. The timing of the burial ceremony would be coordinated so attendees could also attend a parallel time capsule burial at Independence Mall in Philadelphia. A commemorative plaque would be installed at the burial site.

The contents would be jointly determined by the four congressional leadership offices — the Speaker, Minority Leader of the House, Majority Leader of the Senate, and Minority Leader of the Senate — and must include materials related to the U.S. Semiquincentennial, records of important Congressional legislative milestones, and a message from Congress to the future. The capsule would remain sealed until July 4, 2276, at which point the Speaker of the House would present it to the 244th Congress to decide how to preserve or use its contents.

The Architect of the Capitol, who would be responsible for creating and burying the capsule, and the four congressional leadership offices, who would jointly determine its contents. Members of the public and Members of Congress who attend the burial ceremony in 2026 would also be involved, as would, eventually, members of the 244th Congress when the capsule is opened in 2276.

The bill is primarily symbolic and commemorative. Its most concrete effect would be directing a specific federal official to take a defined action by a fixed date. The decision on what legislative records and artifacts are included — chosen jointly by House and Senate leadership — would determine how Congress's present era is memorialized for future generations.

The Architect of the Capitol would create the physical time capsule and select its burial location on the West Lawn. The four congressional leadership offices would consult one another — and optionally the Architect and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution — to determine the capsule's contents. The Architect would then seal and bury the capsule no later than July 4, 2026, scheduling the event to coordinate with the parallel burial in Philadelphia. The Architect would also install an explanatory plaque at the burial site. No rulemaking or reporting requirements are specified beyond these steps.