Senate Committee Unanimously Passes the Museum and Library Services Act, Which Trump Opposes. Who Will Win Out?

From GovTrack.us:

The previous reauthorization of the Museum and Library Service Act came in 2010, signed by President Obama. But President Trump wants to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services agency, and its $231 million budget, entirely.

A Senate committee voted unanimously last week to not only preserve the agency, but increase its budget as well.

What the Bill Does

The Museum and Library Services Act [S. 3530 + H.R. 6988] in many ways mirrors the previous Obama-era reauthorization, but with a few changes:

• Total expenditures would be $299 million, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate.
• More funds for disaster preparedness for libraries and museums, an issue more front and center in the wake of recent historically large hurricanes and wildfires in Texas, Florida, and California.
• Adjustments to the existing formula of disbursing grants to states, with the goal of allowing the funds “to be shared more broadly by all states.”
• Increasing the percentage of funds directed towards Native American or tribal libraries and museums from 1.75% to 2.25%.

The Senate version was introduced on September 28 by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). The House version was introduced the same day by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ3).

Read the Complete Analysis and Links to Additional Info (GovTrack.us)
NOTE: GovTrack.us also provides a number of excellent (and free!) research tools for researching the U.S. Congress.

Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News