To view legislative news for other years, please choose the appropriate year from the drop down menu below.
12-05-2012: Americans for the Arts joined over 250 coalition members representing the diversity of the charitable sector in asking Members of Congress and President Obama to preserve the charitable deduction by meeting with congressional leaders on "Preserve Giving–DC" Day. Coalition partners advocated that now is not the time to disincentivize charitable contributions as nonprofits generate $1.1 trillion in important human services, including providing access to the arts and culture.
11-20-2012: Rocco Landesman announced he will retire as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Read the statement from Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch.
09-25-2012: The U.S. Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee released its draft FY 2013 funding legislation, which includes $154.255 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
09-22-2012: Congress avoids a government shutdown by agreeing to a stopgap funding measure called a Continuing Resolution that would keep the government running until March 27. The measure basically keeps most agencies and programs operating at their previous year's funding levels until a final funding agreement can be reached.
07-18-2012: The U.S. House subcommittee that funds the U.S. Department of Education passed their FY 2013 appropriations bill and proposed termination of the Arts in Education program as they have in previous years.
06-28-2012: Congress agrees to a two-year reauthorization of federal transportation programs, including revised language impacting surface transportation projects that have supported public art, design, historic preservation, museums, and landscaping since 1991. Unfortunately, the new legislation removes public art as a specific eligible activity, making federal funds no longer available to support state and local public art projects. The only remaining arts-related TE eligibility is for historic preservation and rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities.
06-15-2012: The Senate Appropriations Committee approves the FY 2013 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, which includes $26.5 million for the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education.
05-10-2012: U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Secretary for the Interior release the U.S. “National Travel & Tourism Strategy” as developed through the Task Force on Travel & Competitiveness. The U.S. Travel & Tourism Advisory Board, which participated in the design of the national strategy, includes Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert Lynch. Some of the recommendations could be considered by Congress.
03-26-2012: Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch and award-winning actor Stanley Tucci testified at a public witness hearing before the House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee in support of the NEA increase and on behalf of federal cultural funding.
02-16-2012: A hearing on legislation to reauthorize the Elementary & Secondary Education Act in the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee included significant discussion on arts education. Colorado Springs arts teacher Felicia Kazmier, one of the witnesses, spoke about the need for more funding and accountability in supporting arts education. Congressional Arts Caucus co-chair Todd Platts, caucus member Rep. Bobby Scott, and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa all raised arts learning as important to the underlying K-12 issues being considered by the committee. View testimony here.
02-13-2012: The Obama Administration released its federal budget blueprint for Fiscal Year 2013 with an $8 million increase in funds for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This proposal would bring the NEA’s funding to $154 million compared to last year’s appropriation of $146 million. See more information and a breakdown of key federally funded arts programs here.
01-16-2012: Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Education introduces draft legislation to reauthorize the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (also recognized as the No Child Left Behind Act). While the legislation maintains the arts as a core academic subject, it also proposes to terminate the federal Arts in Education program which has been in place for the last 10 years.
