H.R. 6952 — January 6th Oral History Project Act

This section establishes an oral history program at the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress to (1) collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials from individuals present at or affected by the January 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol—including Members of Congress, congressional staff, Capitol Police officers, other law enforcement, journalists, and witnesses; (2) create a publicly available collection of such recordings (with catalog and index) through the National Digital Library and other methods, subject to available resources; and (3) solicit, reproduce, and catalog related written materials (e.g., notes, text messages, emails, social media posts, photographs). The Director may partner with other government and private entities to carry out collection activities, consult interested persons, and develop guidelines, all within available resources. The program must begin collecting recordings as soon as practicable after enactment, prioritizing testimonials at risk of being lost or essential to understanding the events.

This section authorizes the Librarian of Congress to solicit and accept donations of funds and in-kind contributions for the January 6th oral history program. The section further establishes a separate gift account in the Treasury for the Library of Congress to receive such donations and requires that (1) donated funds be deposited entirely into the account, (2) funds in the account be used solely for the program, and (3) no other donated funds be deposited into the account unless donated exclusively for the program.