A congressional charter is a law passed by the United States Congress that states the mission, authority, and activities of a group. Congress has issued corporate charters since 1791 and the laws that issue them are codified in Title 36 of the United States Code.[1] The first charter issued by Congress was for the First Bank of the United States.[2][3]
The relationship between Congress and an organization so recognized is largely symbolic, and is intended to lend the organization the legitimacy of being officially sanctioned by the U.S. government. Congress does not oversee or supervise organizations it has so chartered, aside from receiving a yearly financial statement.
- ^ Hogue, Henry B. (November 15, 2021). Title 36 Congressional Charters (Report). Congressional Research Service. pp. 1–2. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
- ^ Kosar, Kevin R. (April 19, 2013). Congressional or Federal Charters: Overview and Enduring Issues (PDF) (Report). Congressional Research Service. p. 1. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ Hogue 2022, p. 8.