Legislative News
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Funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) passed at $207 million each, $6.3 million and $3.45 million over President Biden’s requests. The bipartisan hearing on June 8—the first in seven years with the NEA and NEH—included testimony from Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson (13th Chair, NEA), Ms. Shelly Lowe (12th Chair, NEH), Ms. Kaywin Feldman (Director, National Gallery of Art), and Mr. Lonnie G. Bunch III (Secretary, Smithsonian Institution).
In April and May, two congressional “Dear Colleague” letters were finalized as statements of support for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Arts leaders have requested “at least” $204 million in funding for the NEA and NEH in Fiscal Year 2023.
On Thursday, April 28, 2022, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) introduced the Equity Through the Arts and Humanities Act (H.R. 7627), which would create a grant program to support arts and humanities projects that work to dismantle systemic racism through the arts and humanities.
Rep. Nydia Velázquez introduced a bill that would increase the Educator Expense Deduction to $2,000 and allow early childhood educators to take advantage of the tax benefit.
On March 15, 2022, President Biden signed the $1.5 trillion spending omnibus package passed by Congress on March 12. Considerations for the arts and culture sector in this spending package has been many months in the making and is the result of the dedication and leadership of arts advocates across the country.
Americans for the Arts submitted testimony to the U.S. House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee calling for “…funding for both the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities at no less than $201 million each for FY 2023.” This is the level that the Biden Administration proposed for FY 2022, and was approved by the House; however, the final level in the Omnibus appropriations bills is $180 million.
The first ever hearing dedicated to the creative economy explored both the impact of COVID-19 on the creative economy, and the various points of connection to federal assistance to small businesses for recovery and long-term support for growth. At the invitation of the committee, Americans for the Arts provided additional testimony alongside other national arts service organizations.
There is now more pro-creative economy legislation being considered by Congress than at any other point in U.S. history. In the last several months arts advocates have been working with members of Congress to introduce an historic lineup of pro-arts legislation that map a new, more equitable and impactful policy landscape for creative businesses and workers.
The free digital guides provide details on arts-related funding in grant topic areas covering community development, economic development, rural development, environment, national service, and congressional earmarks.
A group of 60 creative workforce organizations sent a joint letter to House Education & Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) to request a hearing on the creative workforce and consideration of several policy items as the committee considers the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for the first time since it was initially adopted in 2014.
