Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act
What would you put in a box to represent the 2020s, for future generations to unearth?
What the law does
The Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act buries a time capsule containing objects and items symbolizing modern America in the U.S. Capitol Building by July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
It’s not to be unearthed and reopened in Washington, D.C. for another 250 years, until July 4, 2276 – the Declaration’s 500th anniversary.
What will actually be in the time capsule? To be determined. But it will presumably be bipartisan, since the contents will be chosen by the Republican and Democratic leaders of both the House and Senate.
(The word “Semiquincentennial” in the law’s name means a 250th anniversary.)
Context
Congress previously created a time capsule for the Declaration’s 100th anniversary in 1876, opened as instructed on its 200th anniversary in 1976.
It included photographs of President Ulysses S. Grant and other contemporary politicians taken by photographer Mathew Brady, plus a book about temperance, which was gaining traction at the time. (The movement to prohibit alcohol eventually succeeded in 1919, but was later repealed in 1933.)
This new time capsule is separate from a different 2026 time capsule to be buried in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the Declaration was actually signed.
That time capsule – created by America250, a nonpartisan organization chaired by former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios – will include items from the 2026 Rose Parade in California, current sports memorabilia, plus winning artwork and essays from a national student contest.
The votes
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ12) introduced the House version in November 2025, then Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced the Senate version in January 2026. Demonstrating its bipartisanship, the lead House sponsor was a Democrat, while the lead Senate sponsor was a Republican.
On January 27, the Senate passed it by unanimous consent. On February 9, the House passed it by voice vote. On February 18, President Donald Trump signed it into law.
Back in December 2024, in the waning days of the prior Congress, the House had also passed it by voice vote – though the Senate never took it up.
What supporters say
Supporters argue that in such a short-term media environment, a time capsule will force Congress members and the American public to think on a longer scale: centuries.
“None of us will be here when this capsule is opened. That is the point,” Rep. Watson Coleman said in a press release. “What we do in this chamber every day is history. What we choose to speak up for, and speak out against, it defines us – and it will be the legacy we leave for every governing body that holds this space for years to come.”
“This time capsule will be opened upon our nation’s 500th anniversary,” Sen. Tillis said in a separate press release. “I look forward to ensuring we provide future Americans with key insights into our enduring principles and values as Americans.”