Congress buries a time capsule for 2276. Here's what goes inside.

What it does

This bill directs the Architect of the Capitol to create and bury a time capsule on the West Lawn of the Capitol by July 4, 2026, containing books, manuscripts, legislative records, memorabilia, and a message from Congress to future generations. The time capsule will remain sealed until July 4, 2276, when the 244th Congress will decide how to preserve or display its contents. The bill benefits no private parties and imposes no restrictions on citizens.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative function is to authorize creation and burial of a time capsule marking the U.S. Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary). It is a straightforward commemorative measure with no regulatory, financial, or policy-altering mechanism.

What the text implies

• The bill grants the Architect of the Capitol discretion over the burial location on the West Lawn, which could affect Capitol grounds access or landscaping during the 2026 burial event.
• Future Congress (244th, in 2276) will have unilateral authority to decide how to preserve or use the contents—no binding standard is set for historical preservation or public access.
• The coordination requirement with the Philadelphia time capsule (under the 2016 Semiquincentennial Commission Act) creates a soft intergovernmental dependency, though no enforcement mechanism is specified.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

This is a commemorative and symbolic measure that creates a public historical record for future generations at minimal cost. It involves no restrictions on citizen rights, no private giveaways, and no hidden transfers of public money to narrow interests. The time capsule serves a legitimate public purpose—preserving the nation's legislative and cultural heritage for the 250th anniversary.

Named in the bill

Architect of the Capitol, Office of the Speaker of the House, Office of the Minority Leader of the House, Office of the Majority Leader of the Senate, Office of the Minority Leader of the Senate, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, Congress (244th, 2276)

Where it stands

26 cosponsors: 14 Republicans, 12 Democrats.

• Jan 15, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Jan 15, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and House Committee on House Administration · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and…”
• Feb 26, 2025 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection”
• Feb 26, 2025 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Steil moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 2 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $990,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 22 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

• Zurich American Insurance Company — $990,000 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.