Presidential Records

The Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978, 44 U.S.C. s 2201-2207, governs the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents created or received after January 20, 1981 and mandates the preservation of all presidential records. The PRA changed the legal ownership of the official records of the President from private to public, and established a new statutory structure under which Presidents must manage their records. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Records_Act

Executive Order 13233 limited access to the records of former United States Presidents. It was drafted by then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and issued by President George W Bush on November 1, 2001. Section 13 of Order 13233 revoked Executive Order 12667 which was issued by Ronald Reagan on January 18, 1989. The Order was partially struck down in October 2007, and President Barack Obama completely revoked it by executive order on January 21, 2009, his first full day in office. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Records_Act_Amendments