Access to Presidential Records
The records of former President Ronald Reagan are the first Presidential records to be governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978. The PRA specified that all official Presidential and Vice Presidential records created after that date are the property of the Federal Government and established the legal basis for access to the records of Presidents from Reagan forward.
Executive Order 12667, issued by President Reagan in January 1989, established the procedures for NARA and former and incumbent Presidents to implement the PRA. On November 1, 2001, President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13233, which supersedes the previous Executive Order. The Bush Executive Order also includes the records of former Vice Presidents. More recently, on January 21, 2009, President Barack H. Obama issued Executive Order 13489, which supersedes Executive Order 13233.
Access & Legal Challenges
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Opening the Reagan Documents
A brief description of the implementation of the PRA and the Reagan documents by the Archivist in August 2001.
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Statement on the Implementation and Effectiveness of the PRA
Statement by John W. Carlin, Archivist of the United States, to the Congress of the United States on November 6, 2001.
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Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Transfer of George W. Bush Presidential Electronic Files
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Memorandum of Understanding Clinton-Gore Presidential E-Mail Records
- Legal complaint
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