---
kind: "section"
citation: "2 U.S.C. § 179n"
title: "2"
title_heading: "The Congress"
number: "179n"
heading: "National Film Preservation Board"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/2/179n"
units:
  - "Chapter 5 — Library of Congress"
---

# §179n. National Film Preservation Board

- (a) **Number and appointment—**
  - (1) **Members—** The [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) shall establish in the Library of Congress a National [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) Preservation [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) to be comprised of 22 [members](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2), who shall be selected by the [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) in accordance with this section. Subject to subparagraphs [(C)](#a-1-C) and [(N)](#a-1-N), the [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) shall request each organization listed in subparagraphs [(A)](#a-1-A) through [(Q)](#a-1-Q) to submit a list of three candidates qualified to serve as a [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) of the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2). Except for the [members](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2)-at-large appointed under subparagraph[^1] (2), the [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) shall appoint one [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) from each such list submitted by such organizations, and shall designate from that list an alternate who may attend at [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) expense those meetings to which the individual appointed to the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) cannot attend. The organizations are the following:
    - (A) The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
    - (B) The Directors Guild of America.
    - (C) The Writers Guild of America. The Writers Guild of America East and the Writers Guild of America West shall each nominate three candidates, and a representative from one organization shall be selected as the [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) and a representative from the other organization as the alternate.
    - (D) The National Society of [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) Critics.
    - (E) The Society for Cinema and Media Studies.
    - (F) The American [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) Institute.
    - (G) The Department of [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3), Television, and Digital Media of the School of Theater, [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) and Television at the University of California, Los Angeles.
    - (H) The Department of Cinema Studies of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.
    - (I) The University [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) and Video Association.
    - (J) The Motion Picture Association of America.
    - (K) The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
    - (L) Screen Actors Guild.
    - (M) The National Association of Theater Owners.
    - (N) The American Society of Cinematographers and the International Photographers Guild, which shall jointly submit one list of three candidates from which a [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) and alternate will be selected.
    - (O) The United States [Members](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) of the International Federation of [Film](/usc/2/179u.md?p=3) Archives.
    - (P) The Association of Moving Image Archivists.
    - (Q) The Society of Composers and Lyricists.
  - (2) **Members-at-large—** In addition to the [members](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) appointed under [paragraph (1)](#a-1), the [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) shall appoint up to 5 [members](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2)-at-large. The [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) shall also select an alternate for each [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2)[^2] at-large, who may attend at [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) expense those meetings which the [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2)[^2] at-large cannot attend.
- (b) **Chair—** The [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) shall appoint one [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) of the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) to serve as Chair.
- (c) **Term of office—**
  - (1) **Terms—** The term of each [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) of the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) shall be 4 years, except that there shall be no limit to the number of terms that any individual [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) may serve.
  - (2) **Removal of member or organization—** The [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) shall have the authority to remove any [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) of the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2), or the organization listed in [subsection (a)](#a) such [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) represents, if the [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2), or organization, over any consecutive 2-year period, fails to attend at least one regularly scheduled [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) meeting.
  - (3) **Vacancies—** A vacancy in the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made under [subsection (a)](#a), except that the [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) may fill the vacancy from a list of candidates previously submitted by the organization or organizations involved. Any [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) appointed to fill a vacancy before the expiration of the term for which his or her predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term.
- (d) **Quorum—** 12 [members](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) of the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold hearings.
- (e) **Reimbursement of expenses—** [Members](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) of the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) shall serve without pay, but may receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5.
- (f) **Meetings—** The [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) shall meet at least once each fiscal year. Meetings shall be at the call of the [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1).
- (g) **Conflict of interest—** The [Librarian](/usc/2/179u.md?p=1) shall establish rules and procedures to address any potential conflict of interest between a [member](/usc/2/4556.md?p=2) of the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2) and responsibilities of the [Board](/usc/2/179u.md?p=2).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “paragraph”.
[^2]: So in original. Probably should be followed by a hyphen.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 104–285, title I, § 104, Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3378; Pub. L. 109–9, title III, § 302(b), Apr. 27, 2005, 119 Stat. 225; Pub. L. 110–336, § 3(a)(3), Oct. 2, 2008, 122 Stat. 3727.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a)(1)(E). Pub. L. 110–336, § 3(a)(3)(A), substituted “Cinema and Media” for “Cinema”.

Subsec. (a)(1)(G). Pub. L. 110–336, § 3(a)(3)(B), substituted “Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media” for “Department of Film and Television”.

Subsec. (a)(1)(H). Pub. L. 110–336, § 3(a)(3)(C), substituted “Cinema Studies” for “Film and Television”.

Subsec. (a)(1)(L). Pub. L. 110–336, § 3(a)(3)(D), amended subpar. (L) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (L) read as follows: “The Screen Actors Guild of America.”

2005—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–9, § 302(b)(1), substituted “22” for “20” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 109–9, § 302(b)(2), substituted “5” for “three”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–9, § 302(b)(3), substituted “12” for “11”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109–9, § 302(b)(4), added subsec. (e) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (e). Text read as follows: “Members of the Board shall serve without pay, but may be reimbursed for the actual and necessary traveling and subsistence expenses incurred by them in the performance of the duties of the Board.”