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Title 2, The CongressRelease 119-102

§2131 National Statuary Hall

Title 2 › CHAPTER 30 — OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF CAPITOL COMPLEX › SUBCHAPTER V — HISTORICAL PRESERVATION AND FINE ARTS › Part D — Miscellaneous › § 2131

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The old House chamber must get safe structures and railings to hold and protect statues. The Architect of the Capitol will be in charge of putting them up and caring for them. The President may ask each State to give up to two statues, in marble or bronze, of people who are dead, who were citizens of that State, and who are famous for their place in history or for important civic or military service. Those statues will be placed in the old House chamber, which is set aside 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

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102