(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, States, local governments, 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 Nation’s schools, including tribal schools, and developing museum resources, capabilities, and programs in support of State and local efforts to offer a well-rounded educational experience to all students;

(3) supporting the conservation and preservation of museum collections, including efforts to—

(A) provide optimal conditions for storage, exhibition, and use;

(B) prepare for and respond to disasters and emergency situations;

(C) establish endowments for conservation;

(D) curate, stabilize, and organize object-related information; and

(E) train museum staff in collections care;


(4) supporting efforts at the State level to leverage museum resources, including statewide assessments of museum services and needs and development of State plans to improve and maximize museum services through the State;

(5) creating shared technology tools and data resources, and developing museum staff training plans to improve and maximize museum services through organizations such as museum associations, professional networks, community-based organizations, and foundations, and through other collaborative mechanisms;

(6) stimulating greater collaboration, in order to share resources and strengthen communities, among museums and—

(A) libraries;

(B) schools;

(C) institutions of higher education;

(D) international, Federal, State, regional, tribal, and local agencies or organizations;

(E) nongovernmental organizations;

(F) other community organizations; and

(G) other relevant research and policy organizations;


(7) encouraging the use of new and emerging technologies and media, including new ways to disseminate information, engage varied audiences in experiential learning, and support teachers and students to enhance access to and engagement with museum collections, programs, and services;

(8) supporting museums in developing, carrying out, and providing programs and services that meet the needs of communities throughout the Nation, including people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, residents of rural and urban areas, Native Americans, military families, veterans, and caregivers, and for State institutions;

(9) supporting professional development and technical assistance programs to enhance museum operations, and the skills of museum staff, at all levels, and to support the development of the next generation of museum leaders and professionals, in order to ensure the highest standards in all aspects of museum operations;

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

(11) encouraging, supporting, and disseminating model programs of museum and library collaboration;

(12) enabling museums to serve as anchor institutions to support community revitalization and the creation of opportunities for advancement; and

(13) developing public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations to expand and enhance museum services.

(b) Federal share

(1) 50 percent

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Federal share described in subsection (a) 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) 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.

(c) Review and evaluation

(1) In general

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

(2) Grant distribution

In awarding grants, the Director shall take into consideration the equitable distribution of grants to museums of various types and sizes and to different geographic areas of the United States.

(3) 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.

(B) Individual museums

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

(d) Services for Native Americans

Terms Used In 20 USC 9173

  • Director: means the Director of the Institute appointed under section 9103 of this title. See 20 USC 9101
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
  • Institute: means the Institute of Museum and Library Services established under section 9102 of this title. See 20 USC 9101
  • museum: means a public, tribal, or private nonprofit agency or institution organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, 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. See 20 USC 9172
  • Museum and Library Services Board: means the National Museum and Library Services Board established under section 9105a of this title. See 20 USC 9101
  • 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. See 20 USC 9172

From amounts appropriated under section 9176 of this title, the Director shall reserve 2.25 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).

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