Federal Records Center Preservation and Access Assurance Act of 2025

To ensure the continued availability of federal records to the public while respecting executive branch operational flexibility, no federal funds may be obligated or expended to close a federal records center unless the Archivist of the United States has submitted a detailed closure plan to Congress at least 180 days before the proposed closure date. The plan must include an assessment of the records housed at the center, a description of alternative means for public access to those records (including digitization, remote retrieval, or transfer to another facility), and a cost-benefit analysis demonstrating that closure is more efficient than continued operation. The Archivist must also provide a 90-day public comment period before submission. Congress may pass a joint resolution disapproving the closure plan, in which case no funds may be used to close that center. This section applies to all federal records centers as defined in title 44, United States Code. The Archivist shall report annually to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on the status of any proposed closures and the actions taken to preserve public access. This Act shall sunset five years after the date of enactment, unless reauthorized by Congress. Any violation of this section by an executive agency shall be subject to a civil action brought by any person aggrieved by the loss of access to records, seeking injunctive relief in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.