TITLE 20 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER III - MUSEUM SERVICES

20 USC 9171 - Purpose

It is the purpose of this subchapter

(1) to encourage and support museums in carrying out their public service role of connecting the whole of society to the cultural, artistic, historical, natural, and scientific understandings that constitute our heritage;

(2) to encourage and support museums in carrying out their educational role, as core providers of learning and in conjunction with schools, families, and communities;

(3) to encourage leadership, innovation, and applications of the most current technologies and practices to enhance museum services;

(4) to assist, encourage, and support museums in carrying out their stewardship responsibilities to achieve the highest standards in conservation and care of the cultural, historic, natural, and scientific heritage of the United States to benefit future generations;

(5) to assist, encourage, and support museums in achieving the highest standards of management and service to the public, and to ease the financial burden borne by museums as a result of their increasing use by the public; and

(6) to support resource sharing and partnerships among museums, libraries, schools, and other community organizations.

20 USC 9172 - Definitions

As used in this subchapter:

(1) Museum
The term museum means a public or private nonprofit">nonprofit agency or institution organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes, that utilizes a professional staff, owns or utilizes tangible objects, cares for the tangible objects, and exhibits the tangible objects to the public on a regular basis. Such term includes aquariums, arboretums, botanical gardens, art museums, childrens museums, general museums, historic houses and sites, history museums, nature centers, natural history and anthropology museums, planetariums, science and technology centers, specialized museums, and zoological parks.

(2) State
The term State means each of the 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

20 USC 9173 - Museum services activities

(a) In general
The Director, subject to the policy advice of the Museum and Library Services Board, may enter into arrangements, including grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other forms of assistance, with museums and other entities as the Director considers appropriate, to pay the Federal share of the cost of

(1) supporting museums in providing learning and access to collections, information, and educational resources in a variety of formats (including exhibitions, programs, publications, and websites) for individuals of all ages;

(2) supporting museums in building learning partnerships with the Nations schools and developing museum resources and programs in support of State and local school curricula;

(3) supporting museums in assessing, conserving, researching, maintaining, and exhibiting their collections, and in providing educational programs to the public through the use of their collections;

(4) stimulating greater collaboration among museums, libraries, schools, and other community organizations in order to share resources and strengthen communities;

(5) encouraging the use of new technologies and broadcast media to enhance access to museum collections, programs, and services;

(6) supporting museums in providing services to people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds and to individuals with disabilities;

(7) supporting museums in developing and carrying out specialized programs for specific segments of the public, such as programs for urban neighborhoods, rural areas, Indian reservations, and State institutions;

(8) supporting professional development and technical assistance programs to enhance museum operations at all levels, in order to ensure the highest standards in all aspects of museum operations;

(9) supporting museums in research, program evaluation, and the collection and dissemination of information to museum professionals and the public; and

(10) encouraging, supporting, and disseminating model programs of museum and library collaboration.

(b) Federal share

(1) 50 percent
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Federal share described in subsection (a) of this section shall be not more than 50 percent.

(2) Greater than 50 percent
The Director may use not more than 20 percent of the funds made available under this subchapter for a fiscal year to enter into arrangements under subsection (a) of this section for which the Federal share may be greater than 50 percent.

(3) Operational expenses
No funds for operational expenses may be provided under this section to any entity that is not a museum.

(1) In general
The Director shall establish procedures for reviewing and evaluating arrangements described in subsection (a) of this section entered into under this subchapter.

(2) Applications for technical assistance

(A) In general
The Director may use not more than 10 percent of the funds appropriated to carry out this subchapter for technical assistance awards.

(B) Individual museums
Individual museums may receive not more than 3 technical assistance awards under subparagraph (A), but subsequent awards for technical assistance shall be subject to review outside the Institute.

(d) Services for Native Americans
From amounts appropriated under section 9176 of this title, the Director shall reserve 1.75 percent to award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, Indian tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians (as defined in section 7517 of this title), to enable such tribes and organizations to carry out the activities described in subsection (a) of this section.

9174, 9175. Repealed. Pub. L. 10881, title III, 304, Sept. 25, 2003, 117 Stat. 1002

Section 9174, Pub. L. 94–462, title II, § 274, as added Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, 101(e) [title VII, 702], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–233, 3009304, related to National Award for Museum Service. Section 9175, Pub. L. 94–462, title II, § 275, as added Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, 101(e) [title VII, 702], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–233, 3009304, related to National Museum Services Board.

20 USC 9176 - Authorization of appropriations

(a) Grants
For the purpose of carrying out this subchapter, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Director $38,600,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2005 through 2009.

(b) Administration
Not more than 10 percent of the funds appropriated under this section for a fiscal year may be used to pay for the administrative costs of carrying out this subchapter.

(c) Sums remaining available
Sums appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section for any fiscal year shall remain available for obligation until expended.