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| Other short titles | Presidential Recordings Preservation Act |
|---|---|
| Long title | An Act to protect and preserve tape recordings of conversations involving former President Richard M. Nixon and made during his tenure as President, and for other purposes. |
| Acronyms(colloquial) | PRMPA |
| Nicknames | Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act of 1974 |
| Enacted by | the93rd United States Congress |
| Effective | December 19, 1974 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | 93-526 |
| Statutes at Large | 88 Stat. 1695 |
| Codification | |
| Titles amended | 44 U.S.C.: Public Printing and Documents |
| U.S.C. sections amended | |
| Legislative history | |
| |
| United States Supreme Court cases | |
| Nixon v. General Services Administration (1977) | |
ThePresidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act (PRMPA) of 1974 (Pub. L. 93–526, 88 Stat. 1695, enactedDecember 19, 1974, codified at44 U.S.C. § 2111,note) is anact of Congress enacted in the wake of the August 1974 resignation of PresidentRichard M. Nixon.[1][2] It placed Nixon's presidential records into federal custody to prevent their destruction. The legislative action was intended to reduce secrecy, while allowinghistorians to fulfill their responsibilities.
The Act applies only to President Nixon's presidential materials. Under the statute, materials related to the Abuse of Governmental Power and the constitutional and statutory duties of the President and his White House staff are retained by the National Archives. The Act mandates that the National Archives preserve and process these materials, and prepare them for public access. The National Archives was required to segregate and return to Nixon's estate those materials identified as purely "personal-private" or "personal-political" and unrelated to the President's constitutional and statutory duties.[2] TheU.S. Supreme Court upheld the Act's constitutionality inNixon v. Administrator of General Services.
The Act was introduced asS. 4016 bySenatorGaylord Nelson on September 18, 1974; passed by both houses with amendments on December 9, 1974; and was signed into law by PresidentGerald Ford on December 19, 1974.[3]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theNational Archives and Records Administration.
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