Appropriations Update: NEA, NEH, STEM Funding Bill Approaching the Finish Line
January 15, 2026
IMLS Funding Bill in Negotiations Congress has officially started consideration of a three bill funding package for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). The three funding bills included in this package cover a number of agencies and grant programs of interest to museums including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), science agencies, National Park Service, and many of the historic preservation related programs. Thanks to strong collective advocacy efforts, many of these programs received the same funding as FY25, including the NEA and NEH, despite the President’s Budget Request to eliminate funding for these agencies. Several museums also received earmarks (Congressional Directed Spending) in the bill. This bill passed the House on January 8 by a bipartisan vote of 397 to 28. The Senate is expected to consider this package this week.
Update on IMLS Funding for FY26: The funding bill that contains the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a massive funding bill that includes the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. This bill is often one of the more difficult bills for Congress to negotiate and pass. The House and Senate had proposed similar funding levels for IMLS and the Office of Museum Services, which proposed only a minor decrease. While negotiations on this bill are ongoing, please continue to write to Congress encouraging them to fund the IMLS Office of Museum Services for FY26.
NOW is the time to speak up for museums!
What is the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)?
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a U.S. federal agency that supports libraries, museums, and related institutions through funding, research, and policy development in all 50 states. It provides grants to enhance education, innovation, and public access to cultural and historical resources. IMLS is important because it strengthens communities by improving access to information, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting lifelong learning. Through its support, libraries and museums can better serve diverse populations, adapt to technological advancements, and foster civic engagement. IMLS was allocated $294.8 million for FY 2024 and slated to receive the same funding for FY 2025; these funds make up the primary source of federal funding for libraries, museums, and related institutions.
Call to Action
President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) that would gut the only federal agency dedicated to supporting American museums - IMLS. This EO would essentially gut IMLS within seven days.
IMLS makes up only 0.0046% of the overall federal budget. Meanwhile, museums generate $50 billion dollars in economic benefits to the American economy and support more than 726,000 jobs. American museums receive bi-partisan support, and research shows that 96% of Americans want to maintain or increase federal funding for museums. The economic activity of museums generates over $12 billion in tax revenue, one-third of it going to state and local governments. Each job created by the museum sector results in $16,495 in additional tax revenue. Museums and other nonprofit cultural organizations return more than $5 in tax revenue for every $1 they receive in funding from all levels of government. North Carolina was awarded nearly $7.5 million in IMLS grants during FY 2024.
More people visit art museums, science centers, historic houses or sites, zoos, or aquariums than attend professional sporting events.
Join our museums advocacy team by contacting your members of Congress to urge them to speak up to the Administration about the cruciality of IMLS. The American Alliance of Museums’ template has made it easy for you to identify, email and call your legislators TODAY to ask them to save IMLS - find it here: https://www.congressweb.com/aam/95.
For more information, visit Urgent: Act Now to Save IMLS – American Alliance of Museums