Date: December 22, 2005
To: Congressional Arts Policy Staff
From: Americans for the Arts
Americans for the Arts and its Arts Action Fund are pleased to send you this end-of-year issue of Arts Policy Update. This online update is designed to provide timely and relevant information to congressional staff who are working on arts and arts education issues. The update will be published six times throughout the year, as well as to convey breaking news. Click here for archives.
This information is drawn from legislative news placed on our Congressional Resource Website, which is updated regularly with comprehensive and timely information, ranging from arts-related legislation to economic data and Congressional Arts Caucus events and activities. We encourage you to visit the website often for updates.
CONTENTS
CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS NEWS
ARTS LEGISLATION NEWS
ARTS RESEARCH NEWS
ARTS & CULTURAL AGENCY NEWS
UPCOMING CALENDAR
ABOUT US
CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS NEWS
The Senate Cultural Caucus formed earlier this year already has 30 members and is chaired by Senators Kennedy (D-MA), Enzi (R-WY), Jeffords (I-VT), and Coleman (R-MN). The most recent members are Senators Boxer, Craig, Collins and Reed.
The Congressional Arts Caucus has 188 members and is co-chaired by Representatives Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Chris Shays (R-CT). Most recently, the Caucus coordinated a Dear Colleague letter calling on Labor/HHS/ED Subcommittee Chairman Regula and Ranking Member Obey to support the level of arts education funding provided for in the Senate bill - an effort that has proved successful.
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ARTS LEGISLATION NEWS
ARTS EDUCATION LEVEL-FUNDED IN FY06 CONFERENCE REPORT
The Senate and House conference committee has filed its report regarding the FY 2006 Labor/HHS/ED appropriations bill. The bill contains $35.6 million for the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education, which is the same amount as FY 2005. As had happened in previous years, the House provided zero funding for arts education, but the Senate bill approved $35.7 million. We want to thank the Senate and the 115 House Members of Congress who signed a recent Dear Colleague calling for $35.7 million in arts education funding.
The bill also included report language that calls on the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to administer a survey on arts education during the 2006-07 school year. The last NCES arts education survey was done in 1999.
Click here for more information, or contact Narric Rome.
MUSEUM OFFICE RECEIVES SLIGHT INCREASE IN CONFERENCE RERPORT
The FY 2006 Labor/HHS/ED conference report funds the museum grant programs at the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) at about $31.3 million, which provides approximately $1 million more in program funds for this account.
For more information, contact Narric Rome.
PUBLIC BROADCASTING SEES FUNDING RESTORED IN CONFERENCE REPORT
The FY 2006 Labor/HHS/ED conference report level funds the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), including $400 million in advance funding for FY 2008. The conference agreement includes $30 million for digital conversion, instead of $35 million as proposed by the Senate but not included in the House bill. The conference agreement also includes $35 million for the replacement project of the satellite interconnection system, instead of $40 million as proposed by the Senate, but not included in the House bill. The bill also included funding for the Ready to Learn and Ready to Teach partnership program between CPB and the U.S. Department of Education. These programs were also not included in the original House bill.
Contact Narric Rome for more information.
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SENATE APPROVES TAX DEDUCTION FOR CHARITABLE GIFTS BY ARTISTS
The United States Senate recently approved a tax reconciliation bill (S.2020) that includes several provisions that could affect the arts, some positively and some negatively. One positive provision (Sen. 308)would allow artists to take a fair market value tax deduction when they donate their own works of art to charity. Another item of interest in the bill (Sec. 302), which we have long supported, allows individuals aged 70 1/2 or older to roll over funds from their IRA accounts to charities without realizing the proceeds as taxable income.
However, a more controversial provision (Sec.301) would impose a new floor on deductions for charitable gifts to taxpayers who "itemize" their deductions (Schedule A). The Senate bill would prevent these taxpayers from taking charitable tax deductions for the first $210 of their donations ($420 in the case of married joint filers). Americans for the Arts has taken a position against the proposed new floor on charitable deductions for itemizers. It is important to note that the House of Representatives did not include any of the charitable reform provisions above in its tax reconciliation package.
Click here for more information, or contact Andy Finch.
ARTS RESEARCH NEWS
ARTS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP PUBLISHES THIRD SPACE
The Arts Education Partnership has published a new book on arts education titled Third Space. Third Space tells the story of the profound changes in the lives of students, teachers, and parents in 10 economically disadvantaged communities across the country that believe that arts education is a way to create great schools.
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ARTS & CULTURAL AGENCY NEWS
NEA
Click here for recent NEA grants.
NEH
Click here for recent NEH grants.
IMLS
Anne Radice Nominated As IMLS Director
Former U.S. Department of Education Chief of Staff Anne Radice was nominated as the next Director of the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
Click here for recent IMLS grants.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Deadlines for 2006 Arts Education Grant Competition Announced
The dates relating to the competition for the Model Development & Dissemination Arts Education program have been announced by the U.S. Department of Education. The application notice will be made available on January 27, 2006; the deadline for the applications is set for March 27, 2006; and the awards would be announced during the 2006 summer. A total of 15 awards is expected, each at an average yearly amount of $250,000.
UPCOMING CALENDAR
• 2006 Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy in Washington, DC, on Monday, March 13, 2006.
•2006 National Arts Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, on Tuesday, March 14, 2006.
ABOUT US
For more information about Americans for the Arts or the Arts Action Fund, please visit our websites. For further inquiries about arts policy or the information in this newsletter, please contact our Federal Government Affairs staff:
Andy Finch
Senior Director, Government Affairs
T 202.712.2059
Narric Rome
Director, Federal Affairs
T 202.712.2060
Nina Ozlu
Chief Counsel for Government & Public Affairs
Executive Director, Arts Action Fund
T 202.371.2830
This update will be published six times throughout the year and for breaking news.
If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please e-mail Narric Rome.