Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act
Signed into law Feb 18, 2026 · Congress
What this law does
- Requires a congressional time capsule, marking the Declaration of Independence's 250th anniversary, to be buried in the Capitol Visitor Center by July 4, 2026.
- Requires the capsule to hold a joint letter from the top House and Senate leaders and other items they choose.
- Directs the Architect of the Capitol to install a plaque about the capsule, with approval from two congressional committees.
- Seals the capsule until July 4, 2276, when it will be presented to the 244th Congress.
Plain-language list by Voting On, based only on the official summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and the bill's titles. Read the official summary.
How it became law
- IntroducedJan 27, 2026 · Senate
- Same dayPassed SenateJan 27, 2026
- 13 daysPassed HouseFeb 9, 2026
- 3 daysPresented to the PresidentFeb 12, 2026
- 6 daysSigned into lawFeb 18, 2026
Official 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.
Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Feb 18, 2026).
Who wrote it
Sponsor: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]
3 cosponsors: 1 Republicans, 2 Democrats. 3 signed on the day it was introduced.
Show all cosponsors
| Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|
| Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] | Jan 27, 2026 | Original cosponsor |
| Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] | Jan 27, 2026 | Original cosponsor |
| Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] | Jan 27, 2026 | Original cosponsor |
Recorded votes
No recorded roll-call votes. It passed by voice vote or unanimous consent, where individual votes are not recorded.
What was added
Amendments adopted (0)
No floor amendments were adopted. Any changes were made in committee or in a later version of the bill.
Sections in the final law that were not in the first version (Engrossed in Senate) (0)
None. Every section heading in the final law was already in the first version (Engrossed in Senate).
What was removed
Sections in the first version (Engrossed in Senate) that did not make it into the law (0)
None. Every section heading from the first version (Engrossed in Senate) remains in the law.
Compared by section heading between the Engrossed in Senate text (Jan 27, 2026) and the Enrolled Bill text, both from GovInfo. Wording changes inside a section that kept its heading are not shown here; see the amendments and the text versions.
Proposed but not adopted
No amendments were voted down or withdrawn.
Full action history
Show all 17 official actions
| Feb 18, 2026 | Signed by President. |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Signed by President. |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Became Public Law No: 119-79. |
| Feb 18, 2026 | Became Public Law No: 119-79. |
| Feb 12, 2026 | Presented to President. |
| Feb 12, 2026 | Presented to President. |
| Feb 9, 2026 | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. |
| 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) |
| Feb 9, 2026 | On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2046-2047) |
| Feb 9, 2026 | DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3705. |
| Feb 9, 2026 | Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2046-2048) |
| Feb 9, 2026 | Mrs. Bice moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. |
| Feb 2, 2026 | Held at the desk. |
| Feb 2, 2026 | Received in the House. |
| Jan 27, 2026 | Introduced in Senate |
| 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. |
| 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) |
Sources: Congress.gov (bill record, sponsors, actions, amendments, CRS summary) and GovInfo (official text). Days are calendar days.