US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

2 U.S.C. § 2132

Replacement of statue in Statuary Hall

(a)

Request by State

(1)
section 2131 of this title Any State may request the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to approve the replacement of a statue the State has provided for display in Statuary Hall in the Capitol of the United States under .
(2)
A request shall be considered under paragraph (1) only if—
(A)
the request has been approved by a resolution adopted by the legislature of the State and the request has been approved by the Governor of the State, and
(B)
the statue to be replaced has been displayed in the Capitol of the United States for at least 10 years as of the time the request is made, except that the Joint Committee may waive this requirement for cause at the request of a State.
(b)

Agreement upon approval

If the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress approves a request under subsection (a), the Architect of the Capitol shall enter into an agreement with the State to carry out the replacement in accordance with the request and any conditions the Joint Committee may require for its approval. Such agreement shall provide that—
(1)
section 2131 of this title the new statue shall be subject to the same conditions and restrictions as apply to any statue provided by a State under , and
(2)
the State shall pay any costs related to the replacement, including costs in connection with the design, construction, transportation, and placement of the new statue, the removal and transportation of the statue being replaced, and any unveiling ceremony.
(c)

Limitation on number of State statues

Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to permit a State to have more than two statues on display in the Capitol of the United States.

(d)

Ownership of replaced statue; removal

(1)
Subject to the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library, ownership of any statue replaced under this section shall be transferred to the State.
(2)
If any statue is removed from the Capitol of the United States as part of a transfer of ownership under paragraph (1), then it may not be returned to the Capitol for display unless such display is specifically authorized by Federal law.
(e)

Relocation of statues

section 2131 of this titleThe Architect of the Capitol, upon the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library and with the advice of the Commission of Fine Arts as requested, is authorized and directed to relocate within the United States Capitol any of the statues received from the States under prior to , and to provide for the reception, location, and relocation of the statues received on and after , from the States under such section.

Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(2) [title III, § 311]114 Stat. 2763(, , , 2763A–119.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Pub. L. 107–217, § 1116 Stat. 1062Section was classified to section 187a of former Title 40, prior to the enactment of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, by , , .

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Location of Statues

House Concurrent Resolution 47, passed , 47 Stat. Part 2, 1784, provided: “That the Architect of the Capitol, upon the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library, with the advice of the Commission of Fine Arts, is hereby authorized and directed to relocate within the Capitol any of the statues already received and placed in Statuary Hall, and to provide for the reception and location of the statues received hereafter from the States.”