Title 44Public Printing and DocumentsRelease 119-73

§2903 Custody and control of property

Title 44 › Chapter CHAPTER 29— - RECORDS MANAGEMENT BY THE ARCHIVIST OF THE UNITED STATES AND BY THE ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES › § 2903

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Archivist must be in charge of the National Archives Building and its contents and may provide and care for buildings that store federal records in D.C. and elsewhere. When it serves the public interest, the Archivist may charge reasonable fees for occasional non‑official room use; those fees go into the National Archives Trust Fund to support the National Archives and Records Administration and its public and educational programs.

Full Legal Text

Title 44, §2903

Public Printing and Documents — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Archivist shall have immediate custody and control of the National Archives Building and its contents, and may design, construct, purchase, lease, maintain, operate, protect, and improve buildings used by him for the storage of records of Federal agencies in the District of Columbia and elsewhere.
(b)When the Archivist considers it to be in the public interest, the Archivist may charge and collect reasonable fees from the public for the occasional, non-official use of rooms and spaces, and services related to such use, in the buildings subject to this section. Fees collected under this subsection shall be paid into an account in the National Archives Trust Fund and shall be held, administered, and expended for the benefit and in the interest of the national archival and records activities administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, including educational and public program purposes.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., § 392 (June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title V, § 502, as added Sept. 5, 1950, ch. 849, § 6(d), 64 Stat. 583).

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2004—Pub. L. 108–383 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b). 1984—Pub. L. 98–497 substituted “Archivist” for “Administrator”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–497 effective Apr. 1, 1985, see section 301 of Pub. L. 98–497, set out as a note under section 2102 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

44 U.S.C. § 2903

Title 44Public Printing and Documents

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73