Updated on Friday, March 23, 2018.
On Wednesday, March 21, 2018, the US House of Representatives passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill that funds the federal government through September 30, 2018, the end of the its current fiscal year. Late Thursday, the spending bill was signed by the house and sent on to the White House where it was signed into law on Friday morning.
The spending bill settles the federal government’s budget for Fiscal Year 2018, which began on October 1, 2017, and funds the nation’s federal arts & culture agencies and programs at higher levels than originally proposed by either the House or Senate. The White House’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2018 had recommended the elimination of the agencies.
The chart below, compiled by Americans for the Arts compares the various Fiscal Year 2018 proposals against the final funding levels approved for these agencies:
|
Key Federally Funded Arts Program/Agency (in $ millions) |
White House Proposal |
U.S. House Proposal |
U.S. Senate Committee Proposal |
Final FY 2018 Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) | *Termination | $145 | $150 | $152.8 |
| National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) | *Termination | $145 | $150 | $152.8 |
| Â (IMLS) | *Termination | $231 | $235 | $240 |
| Corporation for Public Broadcasting | *Termination | $445 +$0* | $445 +$20* | $445 +$20* |
| Assistance for Arts Education | $0 | $0 | $27 | $27 |
| Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants | $0 | $500 | $450 | $1,100 |
| Smithsonian Institution | $947 | $885 | $878Â | $1,043 |
| John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | $36.7 | $36.7 | $36.7 | $40.5 |
| National Gallery of Art | $147 | $155.5 | $156.5 | $166 |
| U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum | $54 | $57 | $57 | $59 |
| Save America’s Treasures | $0 | $4 | $3 | $13 |
| Commission of Fine Arts | $2.6 | $2.6 | $2.8 | $2.8 |
| National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs | $0 | $2 | $2 | $2.75 |
| Educational and Cultural Exchange programs | $285 | $591 | $634 | $646 |
| Community Development Block Grants | $0 | $2,900 | $3,000 | $3,300 |
* Additional dedicated funding for interconnection system.
Looking Ahead to Fiscal Year 2019
In February 2018, while congress was still working on a final budget for Fiscal Year 2018, the White House released its proposed budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2019. The proposal once again calls for the elimination of the federal government’s arts and culture agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Additional Information and Resources
For additional resources and information, visit http://azarts.gov/about-us/why-it-matters/advocacy-resources/
To learn more about public funding for the arts at the federal level, visit Americans for the Arts
To learn more about public funding for the arts in Arizona, visit Arizona Citizens for the Arts
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