The United States House of Representative
Jun 4, 2008
Section 33
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In This Section...
 | Rep. Brady [D-PA1]: Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This bill reauthorizes the Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs of the Library of Congress... |
 | Rep. Ehlers [R-MI3]: Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 5893, which will reauthorize the Library of Congress's Sound Record and... |
 | Rep. Conyers [D-MI14]: Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow our cultural, historical or visually significant treasures to disappear into the fog of time. That is why I fully support both... |
Record Text
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SOUND RECORDING AND FILM PRESERVATION PROGRAMS REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - June 04, 2008)<p><center><pre>[Page: H4899]
Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA1]:
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5893) to reauthorize the sound recording and film preservation programs of the Library of Congress, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,<p> SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.<p> This Act may be cited as the "Library of Congress Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs Reauthorization Act of 2008".<p> SEC. 2. SOUND RECORDING PRESERVATION PROGRAMS.<p> (a) National Recording Preservation Board.--<p> (1) REAUTHORIZATION.--<p> (A) IN GENERAL.--Section 133 of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000 (2 U.S.C. 1743) is amended by striking "for each of the first 7 fiscal years beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act" and inserting "for the first fiscal year beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act and each succeeding fiscal year through fiscal year 2016".<p> (B) EFFECTIVE DATE.--The amendment made by subparagraph (A) shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000.<p> (2) CRITERIA FOR REMOVAL OF MEMBERS.--Section 122(d)(2) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 1722(d)(2)) is amended to read as follows:<p> "(2) REMOVAL OF MEMBERS.--The Librarian shall have the authority to remove any member of the Board if the member fails, after receiving proper notification, to attend (or send a designated alternate to attend) a regularly scheduled Board meeting, or if the member is determined by the Librarian to have substantially failed to fulfill the member's responsibilities as a member of the Board.".<p> (b) National Recording Preservation Foundation.--<p> (1) REAUTHORIZATION.--<p> (A) IN GENERAL.--Section 152411(a) of title 36, United States Code, is amended by striking "for each of the first 7 fiscal years beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this chapter" and inserting "for the first fiscal year beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this chapter and each succeeding fiscal year through fiscal year 2016".<p> (B) EFFECTIVE DATE.--The amendment made by subparagraph (A) shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000.<p> (2) PERMITTING BOARD MEMBERS TO SERVE MORE THAN 2 TERMS.--Section 152403(b)(4) of such title is amended by striking the second sentence.<p> (3) PERMITTING BOARD TO DETERMINE LOCATION OF PRINCIPAL OFFICE.--<p> (A) IN GENERAL.--Section 152406 of such title is amended by striking "District of Columbia." and inserting "District of Columbia or another place as determined by the Board of Directors.".<p> (B) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.--Section 152405(b) of such title is amended by striking "District of Columbia," and inserting "jurisdiction in which the principal office of the corporation is located,".<p> (4) CLARIFICATION OF LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.--Section 152411(b) of such title is amended to read as follows:<p> "(b) Limitation Related to Administrative Expenses.--Amounts authorized under this section may not be used by the corporation for management and general or fundraising expenses as reported to the Internal Revenue Service as part of an annual information return required under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.".<p> SEC. 3. FILM PRESERVATION PROGRAMS.<p> (a) National Film Preservation Board.--<p> (1) REAUTHORIZATION.--<p> (A) IN GENERAL.--Section 112 of the National Film Preservation Act of 1996 (2 U.S.C. 179v) is amended by inserting after "the Librarian" the following: "for the first fiscal year beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act and each succeeding fiscal year through fiscal year 2016".<p> (B) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.--Section 113 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 179w) is amended by striking the first sentence.<p> (C) EFFECTIVE DATE.--The amendments made by this paragraph shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the National Film Preservation Act of 1996.<p> (2) EXPANDING AUTHORIZED USES OF SEAL.--Section 103(b) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 179m(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following: "The Librarian may authorize the use of the seal by the Library or by others for other limited purposes in order to promote in the National Film Registry when exhibiting, showing, or otherwise disseminating films in the Registry.".<p> (3) UPDATING NAMES OF ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED ON BOARD.--Section 104(a)(1) of such Act (2 U.S.C. 179n(a)(1)) is amended--<p> (A) in subparagraph (E), by striking "Cinema" and inserting "Cinema and Media";<p> (B) in subparagraph (G), by striking "Department of Film and Television" and inserting "Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media";<p> (C) in subparagraph (H), by striking "Film and Television" and inserting "Cinema Studies"; and<p> (D) by amending subparagraph (L) to read as follows:<p> "(L) Screen Actors Guild.".<p> (b) National Film Preservation Foundation.--<p> (1) REAUTHORIZATION.--Section 151711(a) of title 36, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: by inserting after the first sentence the following:<p> "(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--<p> "(1) IN GENERAL.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the Library of Congress amounts necessary to carry out this chapter, not to exceed--<p> "(A) $530,000 for each of the fiscal years 2005 through 2009;<p> "(B) $750,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2011; and<p> "(C) $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2012 through 2016.<p> "(2) MATCHING.--The amounts authorized to be appropriated under this subsection are to be made available to the corporation to match any private contributions (whether in currency, services, or property) made to the corporation by private persons and State and local governments.".<p> (2) REPATRIATION OF FILMS FROM FOREIGN ARCHIVES AS PURPOSE OF FOUNDATION.--Section 151702(1) of such title is amended by striking "United States;" and inserting "United States and the repatriation of American films from foreign archives;".
(3) EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR FILLING VACANCIES IN MEMBERSHIP OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS.--Section 151703(b)(5) of such title is amended by striking "60 days" and inserting "120 days".<p>
Chair: Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) each will control 20 minutes.
Chair: The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA1]:
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record and to include extraneous matter.
Chair: Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Pennsylvania?
Chair: There was no objection.
Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA1]:
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
This bill reauthorizes the Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs of the Library of Congress through the year 2016.
The National Film Preservation Board was created in 1988 to address the rapid deterioration of important films. The Film Preservation Board is responsible for identifying and preserving films they deem are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Along with the National Film Preservation Foundation, the Film Preservation Board ensures that all generations from all over the world will be able to view these remarkable films and experience their power and importance firsthand.
The National Recording Preservation Board was created by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000. There are currently 225 entries in the National Recording Registry, and that number may only continue to grow. From music to historical speeches, the Recording Preservation Board makes certain that future generations can experience these historically important and powerful sounds that helped shape decades.
It is necessary that we reauthorize the Recording and Film Boards to allow them to continue their vital mission. We will see to it that those who come after us will be able to listen to and witness those sounds and sights that are essential to our national heritage.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY,
Washington, DC, June 4, 2008.
DEAR CHAIRMAN BRADY: This is to advise you that, as a result of your working with us to make appropriate revisions to provisions in H.R. 5893, the Library of Congress Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs Reauthorization Act of 2008, that fall within the rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary, we are able to agree to discharging our committee from further consideration of the bill in order that it may proceed without delay to the House floor for consideration.
The Judiciary Committee takes this action with the understanding that by foregoing further consideration of H.R. 5893 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar legislation. We also reserve the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this important legislation, and request your support if such a request is made.
I would appreciate your including this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor. Thank you for your attention to this request, and for the cooperative relationship between our two committees.
Sincerely,
John Conyers, Jr.,
<pre>--</pre>
House of Representatives, Committee on House Administration,
Washington, DC, June 4, 2008.
DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Thank you for your letter regarding your committee's jurisdictional interest in H.R. 5893, a bill to reauthorize the sound recording and film preservation programs of the Library of Congress.
I appreciate your willingness to support expediting floor consideration of this important legislation today. I understand and agree that this is without prejudice to your Committee's jurisdictional interests in this or similar legislation in the future. In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation is convened, I would support your request for an appropriate number of conferees.
I will place a copy of your letter and this response in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 5893. Thank you for your cooperation as we work towards enactment of this legislation.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brady,
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Rep. Vernon Ehlers [R-MI3]:
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 5893, which will reauthorize the Library of Congress's Sound Record and Film Preservation Program. It is an important bill, which will preserve the images and sounds of our Nation's history and make those pieces of the past more accessible to future generations.
The importance of this effort was illustrated just this weekend when Universal Studios in California had a mammoth fire in which some priceless films were lost, and all films, if they were recorded and in the Library of Congress, would not face this problem.
The National Film Preservation Board was formed in 1993 following a study that revealed that America's film heritage was at serious risk due to the degradation of acetate film stock at an alarming rate. Funding for preservation programs had fallen drastically since 1980, creating an urgent need for action. A national plan to protect our Nation's treasures on film was created in 1994 to address the growing need for preservation and to make films more available for education and public exhibition.
I must confess, Mr. Speaker, to some frustration that we have to come in and save the films that the film industry has not taken care of. Obviously they're making enough money when they pull down $300 million in one weekend for certain films. I would think they would have the wherewithal to preserve their own films. Nevertheless, since they have not, the Congress has had to step in to do it.
In 1999 Congress created the Sound Recording Preservation Program modeled on the successful National Film Preservation Program. This new program would protect historic pieces of audio recordings from deterioration. These audio recordings are extremely important and should be preserved as well. Through the creation of this program, the Sound Recording Preservation Board was instructed to produce a report on the current state of sound recording archiving, preservation and restoration activities, encompassing standards for digital preservation and for access to preserved recordings. The program also includes research on current laws governing sound preservation and how the Library and other institutions can make collections more available to researchers digitally.
This bill will continue the good work started by the Sound Recording and Film Preservation Program staff and their respective boards. Historians, scholars, and citizens will benefit from increased access to these important works, and the items themselves will be preserved for many more generations to come under these programs.
I fully support this bill and thank Chairman BRADY for his efforts to bring this matter to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA1]: Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
Rep. Danny Davis [D-IL7]:
I want to thank Chairman BRADY for yielding, and I also want to commend him for the introduction of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I have always been a great fan of libraries, and, obviously, I'm a great fan of the Library of Congress. And I believe that having as much information and material as we can possibly have is of great benefit not only to the preservation of our history and culture but also a benefit to those who are seeking information, those who want to be educated in many of the different and various ways that education takes place. So I rise in strong support of this legislation.
Rep. Vernon Ehlers [R-MI3]:
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I will attempt to conclude here.
I just want to recognize the good work that the board has done, the importance of the preservation of both visual and audio recordings, as Mr. Davis has just said. And it may be that 100, 150 years from now, someone will resurrect Pavarotti, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, some of the great musicians of our time, and say look what we have lost in our culture, and we may see a rejuvenation of those.
So I strongly support this bill and urge its passage.
Rep. John Conyers [D-MI14]:
Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow our cultural, historical or visually significant treasures to disappear into the fog of time. That is why I fully support both reauthorizations contained within H.R. 5893.
Our written traditions have libraries which archive and preserve them. The program we reauthorize today provides a mechanism for similar archiving for sound and visual arts, encouraging their preservation and accessibility for ourselves and for future generations despite rapid changes in visual and sound recording media.
H.R. 5893 would reauthorize the sound recording and film preservation programs of the Library of Congress and make a few small changes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the programs such as by encouraging more active participation by board members.
I am particularly interested in the progress of the Library of Congress on its study and report on sound recordings. In speaking with members of the artist community, it has become clear to me that art forms such as jazz are not being archived, preserved, and restored to the extent necessary to prevent the disappearance of some of the older recordings. This reauthorization will enable the Library of Congress to continue the study and report on ways the National Recording Preservation Board can better ensure the continued availability of seminal pieces of historical jazz and other forms of music.
This country, indeed the world, recently lost a music great, a pioneer who helped lead rhythm and blues into rock and roll, an artist of the highest esteem, "Bo Diddley." Through the continuation of these important archive programs, we can help make sure that Bo Diddley and others will be long remembered for their special contributions to our culture. Though we may mourn the passing of the musician, we need never mourn the loss of the music.
Rep. Vernon Ehlers [R-MI3]: Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA1]:
Mr. Speaker, as always, I would like to thank the ranking member, my friend from Michigan, for his cooperation, and I urge an "aye" vote.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Chair: The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5893, as amended.
Chair: The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
Chair: A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
