---
type: "LegalText"
title: "4 U.S.C. § 144"
description: "Cooperation of departments and agencies"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 4
title_name: "FLAG AND SEAL, SEAT OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE STATES"
chapter_number: "5"
chapter_name: "OFFICIAL TERRITORIAL PAPERS"
section: "144"
citation: "4 U.S.C. § 144"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc04@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t4/s144"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-04/usc04.xml"
source_hash: "26daca5c71a6e329f065c5fc9333bea9e688cd5df87166aced58e34ac94b59e0"
raw_snapshot_hash: "75a0350a67c3db0861c4992fe97e10959f62966b05c0b41db2f9850beb5ed882"
text_hash: "36558933d22e7c622bf3d61cc9c0cabf817ffe58c9fe29f03d228760703562bf"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 4 U.S.C. § 144 - Cooperation of departments and agencies

## Text

The heads of the several executive departments and independent agencies and establishments shall cooperate with the Archivist in the work prescribed by section 141 of this title by permitting access to any records deemed by him to be necessary to the completion of such work.

(Added Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 12, 65 Stat. 714; amended Pub. L. 98–497, title I, § 107(f), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2292.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments1984—Pub. L. 98–497 substituted “Archivist” for “Administrator”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–497 effective Apr. 1, 1985, see section 301 of Pub. L. 98–497, set out as a note under section 2102 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents.

Similar Provisions; Repeal; Saving Clause; Delegation of Functions; Transfer of Property and Personnel See note preceding section 141 of this title.