Funding Legislation for NDIIPP
The Library of Congress has been empowered by the U.S. Congress to develop a national program for a collaborative collection of important digital material of educational value and a long-term strategy for the preservation of digital materials.
In December 2000, the 106th Congress appropriated $100 million for this effort, which instructs the Library to spend an initial $25 million to develop and execute a congressionally approved strategic plan for a National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program. (A government-wide rescission of .22 percent in late December 2000 reduced this special appropriation to $99.8 million.)
Congress specified that $5 million of the appropriation may be spent during the initial phase for planning as well as the acquisition and preservation of digital information that may otherwise vanish.
The legislation authorizes as much as $75 million of federal funding to be made available as this amount is matched by nonfederal donations, including in-kind contributions.
Public Funding
The Miscellaneous Appropriations Act of 2001, (Public Law 106-554), Dec. 21, 2000, appropriated $100 million (subsequently reduced by a rescission of $220,000) to the Library of Congress to carry out the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP).
The statement of the managers from the conference report (House Report 106-1033) contained the following additional information:
"The agreement provides $100,000,000 to the Library of Congress to establish a national digital information infrastructure and preservation program. Of this amount, $25,000,000 is provided immediately and remains available until expended."
The law states "…that of the total amount appropriated, $5,000,000 may be expended before the approval of a plan to develop such a plan, and to collect or preserve essential digital information which otherwise would be uncollectible: Provided further, that the balance in excess of such $5,000,000 shall not be expended without approval in advance by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.…"
