1. Update on NEH
2. House Fails To Adopt Interior Appropriations Conference Report
3. Senate Funds TIIAP/ Telecommunication Grants
4. Funding for the Smithsonian
5. FY'96 Budget for the Library of Congress
6. Proposed Rules Changes for NHPRC
7. FY'96 Funding for the Legacy Program
1. Update on NEH --
When the Interior Appropriations Conference Committee voted for a
FY'96 budget of $110 million for the National Endowment for the
Humanities, the conferees also agreed to an earmarking of funds that
added up to $112.5 million: $28 million for the state programs; $17
million for the preservation program; $36 million for combined
public, research, and education grants programs; $15.5 million for
administration; and $16 million for combined Treasury and Challenge
grants. The agreement stated that the Chairman of NEH would decide
how the $2.5 million reduction would be achieved. The Chairman has
been working on the breakdown of funds for the various programs for
the past last week. The tentative numbers from the Chairman's Office
are: $ 26.5 million for State Programs; $17 million for Preservation
and Access (Access Programs are being moved from the Research Division
to Preservation); $35.5 million for Program grants, which includes
the Education, Public, and Research Divisions; $15 million for
Administrative Funds, and $16 million for combined Treasury Funds and
Challenge Grants.
On the question of what percentage the state programs are of the NEH
budget, it appears that there are a number of ways to figure the
numbers. In a previous update I had mentioned a percentage which was
based on the total NEH budget. However, the official way to calculate
the percentage is to take the states' proportion of the "program"
funds, which do not include Administrative and Treasury funds. Based
on this formula and using the chairman's figure of $26.5 million,
there will be 30% for the states. This is the percentage for the
states in the Senate reauthorization bill. Although it is less than
the 35% that NEA state programs receive, it is a significant increase
over the 20% for state programs in the NEH FY'95 budget.
On September 29 the NEH celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. When
President Johnson signed the public law that created the endowments, he
stated:
"We in America have not always been kind to the artists and
scholars who are the creators and the keepers of our vision.
Somehow, the scientists always seem to get the penthouse, while
the arts and the humanities get the basement."
2. House Fails To Adopt Interior Appropriations Conference Report --
On September 29 the House voted to "recommit" the Interior
Appropriations Bill back to the House/Senate Conference Committee with
instructions to rework the section on mining patents. A spokesperson
for the House Interior Appropriations Committee said that the it is
highly unlikely that any other provisions than the mining patent
provision would be reopened for consideration.
3. Senate Amendment on TIIAP Telecommunication Grants Passes --
On Friday, September 29 the Senate voted 64 to 33 to support an
amendment introduced by Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE) to restore $18.9
million to the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure
Assistance Program (TIIAP). The Senate Commerce Appropriations Bill
under consideration had zero funding for TIIAP, which provides grants
to support the development of educational and cultural
telecommunications services to the public. The House voted to fund
TIIAP at the level of $40 million. The Conference Committee will work
out differences between the two bills.
4. Funding for the Smithsonian Institution --
The Interior Appropriations Bill conferees recommended $308 million
for salaries and expenditures in FY'96 for the Smithsonian. In FY'95
this figure was slightly higher at $314.4 million. The amount
appropriated for repairs and restoration increased this year, going
from a level of $24 million in FY'95 to $33 million in FY'96. The
FY'96 budget also includes $27 million for construction, a large
portion of which will go toward the building of the American Indian
Cultural Center in Suitland.
5. FY'96 Budget for the Library of Congress --
Although the Library of Congress had requested an 8% increase in
funding for FY'96, they received less than a 1% increase. The
Congress voted for a budget in FY'96 for the Library of Congress of
$352.4 million which is a $1.5 million increase over last years
budget. The increase is to go toward the Library of Congress' new
National Digital Library. On October 3 the President vetoed the
Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, stating that it was a symbolic
act for he would not approve the lawmakers' budget while the spending
measures to pay for the federal government were "incomplete,
unresolved, and uncertain."
6. Proposed Changes in Procedures for NHPRC --
In the September 8 Federal Register (Vol. 60, No. 174, pages 46798-
46802), the National Archives requested comments on proposed revisions
to the regulations relating to the National Historical Publications
and Records Commission (NHPRC). The proposed changes update and
clarify current regulations and reflect fairly minor changes. The
deadline for comments is November 7. They should be sent to Director,
Policy and Planning Division, National Archives and Records
Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001.
7. FY'96 Funding for the Legacy Program --
The House/Senate Conference Report on the Defense Appropriations
Bill earmarked $10 million for the Legacy Program, which is a Defense
Department program that includes funding for preservation of historic
resources and Cold War related materials, as well as some funds for
declassification projects. This is a significant reduction from the
FY'95 appropriation of $50 million.
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