To reauthorize the National Film Preservation Board, and for other purposes.
Public Law 104-285 · H.R. 1734 · 104th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 11, 1996 · Arts, Culture, Religion
Sponsor: Rep. Carlos Moorhead (R-CA-27)
Cosponsors (3): Rep. Howard Coble, Rep. Sonny Bono,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Title I: Reauthorization of the National Film Preservation
Board
Title II: The National Film Preservation Foundation Act
Title I: Reauthorization of the National Film Preservation Board - National Film Preservation Act of 1996 - Repeals and replaces the National Film Preservation Act of 1992.
Directs the Librarian of Congress to continue the National Film Registry.
Reauthorizes the National Film Preservation Board.
Authorizes appropriations.
Title II: The National Film Preservation Foundation Act - National Film Preservation Foundation Act - Establishes the National Film Preservation Foundation as a charitable and nonprofit corporation (but neither an agency nor an establishment of the United States).
Makes the Librarian of Congress an ex officio non-voting member of the Board of Directors, who shall appoint the other Directors and the Board's initial Chair.
Authorizes appropriations, subject to matching private contributions. Prohibits the use of Federal funds for Foundation administrative expenses.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Oct 11, 1996Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 104-285.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 2, 1996PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Sep 28, 1996FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Senate Judiciary Committee
- Jul 31, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
- Jul 29, 1996FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Moorhead moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jun 28, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Committee on House Administration
- May 6, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Mar 12, 1996CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 27, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Jun 1, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- May 30, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- May 25, 1995CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.