On March 15, 2022, President Biden signed the $1.5 trillion spending omnibus package passed by Congress on March 12. The bill’s passage comes after five months of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over how to fund the federal government through fiscal year 2022 (FY22). The legislation contains all 12 fiscal spending bills, including supplemental appropriations for the crisis in Ukraine. 

Additionally, after a decade-long ban, over $8 billion worth of “congressionally-directed spending (earmarks) requests” were included in this Omnibus bill. Among those, Americans for the Arts estimates that over $300 million were directed towards arts and culture-related projects. The considerations for the arts and culture sector in this spending package is the result of the dedication and leadership of arts advocates across the country. 

The following highlights in the Omnibus bill reflect items that directly impact the arts and culture, nonprofits, and individuals:

• $180 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
• $268 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
• $525 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting 
• $36.5 million for Assistance for Arts Education 
• $1.28 billion for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants 

View a more in-depth chart of funding levels and outcomes on the Arts Action Fund website. 

The passage and signing of this spending package has been many months in the making. Americans for the Arts is thankful for the advocacy leadership of the state arts advocacy alliances and national organizations who worked to make this happen. 

Photo of the White House by Ana Lanza on Unsplash.