Laws and Regulations
The following acts govern the Presidential Libraries and the access and use of their materials. Additional information on NARA’s laws and regulations is available here.
Established a system of privately erected and federally maintained libraries.
Applies only to the Nixon Presidential Materials.
- Presidential Records Act (PRA)
Governs the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents created or received after January 20, 1981.
Directs the Archivist to provide to the Senate and House appropriations committees a 10-year capital improvement plan for all presidential archival depositories. In addition, the Archivist must submit a report to the House and Senate homeland security committees that provides alternative models for presidential archival depositories.
Read the Report on Alternative Models submitted to Congress.
Signed by President Obama on January 21, 2009, provides for further implementation of the Presidential Records Act.
Signed by President Obama on December 29, 2009, prescribes a uniform system for classifying, safeguarding, and declassifying national security information. This order revokes Executive Orders 12958 and 13292.
- Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Enacted in 1966, generally provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency documents or information.
Presidential Transitions are carried out by a variety of Federal Laws beginning with the Presidential Transition Act of 1963.