Sponsors (10)
The bill preserves in-person public and agency access and reduces disruptive relocations of archival records, but does so by constraining the Archivist’s ability to modernize or move records—raising costs and potentially risking necessary repairs and long-term preservation.
Researchers, historians, and the general public retain continued in-person access to existing National Archives records centers and archives because closures or new access restrictions are barred.
Federal, state, and local agencies and users face fewer disruptions because records housed in older facilities are less likely to be moved for long periods, supporting timely access to needed records.
Taxpayers and the National Archives likely face higher recurring operational and maintenance costs because the Archivist's ability to consolidate or close underused facilities is restricted.
Limiting the Archivist's ability to modernize, retrofit, or consolidate facilities reduces opportunities for efficiency and could increase long‑term operational inefficiencies for the National Archives.
Requiring records to remain without moves longer than 180 days could prevent necessary repairs or safety upgrades, risking long‑term preservation and availability of records important to researchers and the public.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Prevents the Archivist from closing or unreasonably restricting access to existing archive facilities and bars relocations of records lasting more than 180 days during facility work.
Official title: To amend title 44, United States Code, to prohibit the closure of Federal records centers, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 20, 2026 by Kevin Mullin · Last progress August 20, 2026
Prohibits the Archivist of the United States from closing or placing unreasonable access restrictions on any records center or archive facility that existed before this law, and bars major renovation or conversion projects that would require moving records for more than 180 days. The bill mainly preserves public access and limits long relocations of records during reconstruction, conversion, or rehabilitation of existing archival facilities.