The Presidential Records Act

The Presidential Records Act (PRA), enacted in 1978, requires that all official records produced by the President and their staff during their term are considered property of the U.S. government, not private property. These records include emails, memos, and documents related to government business. The act mandates that these records be preserved, maintained, and made accessible to the public and researchers unless classified for national security reasons. Its purpose is to ensure transparency, accountability, and proper historical preservation of presidential documents, emphasizing that presidential records serve the public interest rather than individual privacy or control.