Presidential Libraries Act of 1986
Public Law 99-323 · H.R. 1349 · 99th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on May 27, 1986 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Glenn English (D-OK-6)
Cosponsors (19): Rep. Thomas Kindness, Rep. Stephen Neal,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Presidential Libraries Act of 1986 - Allows presidential archival depositories to include research and museum facilities. Authorizes the Archivist of the United States to accept gifts to make physical changes or additions to depositories.
Directs the Archivist to promulgate architectural and design standards for the preservation of presidential records and for adequate research facilities.
Requires the Archivist to report to the Congress on any proposed change to a depository.
Authorizes the Archivist to solicit gifts or bequests of money or other property to maintain, operate, protect, or improve a depository. Directs the Archivist to establish in the National Archives Trust Fund separate endowments for each depository for the deposit of any gifts or bequests. Restricts income to such endowments to the payment of the costs of facility operations.
Prohibits the Archivist from accepting title to any land, facility, or equipment unless specified conditions are met with respect to amounts available in an endowment and other costs.
Directs the Archivist to study the demand for, and the costs of, establishing a museum of the Presidents. Requires the study to examine the feasibility of establishing and operating such museum exclusively with non-Federal funds. Requires the results of such study to be included in the Archivist's report for FY 1986.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Oversight and Accountability Committee · House · referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties 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. 17 actions.
- May 27, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-323.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- May 15, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- May 13, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 21, 1986FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Mar 7, 1986CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Oct 2, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Jun 6, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Jun 4, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- May 15, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Mar 26, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Mar 11, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
- Feb 28, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform 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.