Title 2 — The CongressRelease 119-73
§2131 National Statuary Hall
Title 2 › Chapter CHAPTER 30— - OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF CAPITOL COMPLEX › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - HISTORICAL PRESERVATION AND FINE ARTS › Part Part D— - Miscellaneous › § 2131
Summary
Build railings and supports in the old House chamber to hold and protect statues, with the Architect of the Capitol in charge. The President may invite each State to send up to two marble or bronze statues of deceased citizens famous for historic, civic, or military service, and those statues will be placed in that chamber as the national statuary hall.
Full Legal Text
Title 2, §2131
The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Suitable structures and railings shall be erected in the old hall of Representatives for the reception and protection of statuary, and the same shall be under the supervision and direction of the Architect of the Capitol. And the President is authorized to invite all the States to provide and furnish statues, in marble or bronze, not exceeding two in number for each State, of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services, such as each State may deem to be worthy of this national commemoration; and when so furnished, the same shall be placed in the old hall of the House of Representatives, in the Capitol of the United States, which is set apart, or so much thereof as may be necessary, as a national statuary hall for the purpose herein indicated.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Section was classified to section 187 of former Title 40, prior to the enactment of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, by Pub. L. 107–217, § 1, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1062. R.S. § 1814 derived from act
July 2, 1864, ch. 210, § 2, 13 Stat. 347. section 2 of act
July 2, 1864, gave the supervision and direction of the National Statuary Hall to the Commissioner of Public Buildings.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
of Architect of the Capitol, functions abolished, transferred, etc., by prior acts, see
Prior Provisions
and
Change of Name
notes set out under former section 1801 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
2 U.S.C. § 2131
Title 2 — The Congress
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73