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Legislative News

12-26-2007: President Bush signs into law the consolidated appropriations bill and the AMT patch without the expiring extenders.

12-19-2007: The House passes the final version of the AMT bill, H.R. 4351, without the IRA Rollover provision and other tax extenders 352-64. Congress also cleared a continuing resolution (H.J. Res 72) that will fund the government mostly at fiscal 2007 levels through December 31 in order to give the president time to review and sign the omnibus bill. The House adjourns with the Senate to adjourn for legislative business but remaining in a pro-forma session to avoid "pocket vetoes" or executive appointments.

12-19-2007: The U.S. House approved final passage of the consolidated appropriations bill H.R. 2764, 272-142. The bill provides increased funding for the NEA by 16% to $144.7 million, the largest increase in 30 years. NEH and Arts in Education also see modest increases with OMS receiving a small decrease in funding.

12-18-2007: U.S. Senate failed to pass the AMT "patch," H.R. 4351, 48-46 without the tax extensions set to expire December 31st, but with certain budgetary off-sets. By unanimous consent, the measure required 60 votes for passage.

12-18-2007: By a vote of 70-25, the U.S. Senate passed H.R 2764, Foreign Operations Appropriations/Consolidated Appropriations bill, an omnibus spending bill with additional Senate amendments to fund the war in Iraq that totals $555 billion. The bill now moves back to the House for final consideration of the Senate version.

12-17-2007: By a vote of 253–154, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2764, a $515.7 billion domestic spending bill that incorporates the 11 remaining appropriations, additional funding for the war in Afghanistan and emergency spending items into one omnibus measure. Arts-related items include a 16 percent increase to $144,706,000 for the National Endowment for the Arts in the Interior budget that represents the largest growth in NEA spending in 30 years. Also, the National Endowment for the Humanities  and Arts in Education saw increases. The bill heads to the Senate for further consideration.

12-7-2007: By a 88–5 vote, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 3996, the now-named Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2007, without the U.S. House-passed individual tax reforms and one-year extenders. The IRA Rollover provision is among the provisions set to expire without extending legislation. The legislation now goes back to the House for further consideration.

11-27-2007: NEA Chairman Dana Gioia released a letter and NEA summary report on the Artist-Museum Partnership Act (S. 548 and H.R. 1524) sent to Senators Leahy (D-VT) and Bennett (R-NV) discussing the positive impact of the bill in preserving America's artistic heritage. Currently, artists seeking to donate self-created works to nonprofit institutions can only receive a tax deduction equal to the value of the work's materials. The legislation would amend the tax code to allow creators to take the fair-market value after objective evaluation. The report and letter can be found here.

11-16-2007: House recessed until December 4. The Senate remained in session pro-forma with no legislative votes until December 4.

11-15-2007: House of Representatives failed to override presidential veto.

11-13-2007: President Bush vetoed the Labor-HHS-Ed conference report and signed Department of Defense Appropriations containing the continuing resolution.

11-9-2007: The House passed the Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007, HR 3996, by a vote of 216–193. In addition to Alternative Minimum Tax relief, the bill contains several one-year tax extenders. Among them, the IRA Charitable Rollover provision that permits tax-free charitable contributions from an Individual Retirement Account of up to $100,000 per taxpayer, per taxable year.

11-8-2007: The House and Senate adopted the conference report for H.R. 3222, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2007, which contained a continuing resolution extending funding for government programs and functions until December 14, 2007.

11-8-2007: The House considered and adopted the Labor-HHS Appropriations Conference Report by a vote of 274–141. The bill is cleared for consideration by the President who has signaled that he may veto it.

11-7-2007: The U.S. Senate voted to strike a provision from the Labor-HHS Appropriations Conference Report, H.R. 3043, that would have attached the Military Construction-VA Bill for consideration. The Senate then sent Labor-HHS back to the House for final passage.

11-7-2007: House Judiciary Committee reported out H.R. 1312, The Arts Require Timely Service Act (ARTS) bill by voice vote. ARTS would expedite processing and issuance of certain work visas for foreign artists to be able to perform in the United States.

11-6-2007: U.S. House of Representatives adopted the conference report for Labor-HHS, H.R. 3043, by a vote of 269–142. The report represents a seven percent increase within the Department of Education appropriations for Arts in Education programs (AIE) bringing funding to $38,041,000 for FY08. This increase goes up to 14 percent if arts education research reporting and evaluation funding is included. Also, the Office of Museum Services (OMS) received a half-million dollar increase to $32,312,000.

11-1-2007: House and Senate Conferees agreed to file a conference report on H.R. 3043, Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Act, 2008. The Labor-HHS bill is scheduled to be considered together with the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2008, H.R. 2462.

11-1-2007: The House Ways and Means Committee reported out H.R. 3996, the Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 (AMT Relief) by a vote of 22–13. In addition to Alternative Minimum Tax relief, the bill contains several one-year tax extenders. Among them, the IRA Charitable Rollover provision that permits tax-free charitable contributions from an Individual Retirement Account of up to $100,000 per taxpayer, per taxable year.

11-1-2007: The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law held a hearing on legislation introduced by Rep. Henry Johnson Jr. (D-GA) and Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT), H.R. 3359, the Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2007. The bill would limit the state and locality tax liability of non-resident workers who are working in another state or locality for less than 60 days. The bill, in it's present form, includes a definition for "professional entertainer"—a person who performs services in the professional performing arts—as an employee covered by this legislation. 

10-23-2007: The U.S. Senate approved the FY08 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill by a vote of 75-19. The Senate bill contains $36.3 million for Arts in Education through the U.S. Department of Education. The House-passed appropriations bill contained $39 million for Arts in Education. House and Senate conferees are expected to begin work on a conference report in November.

10-17-2007: Reps. Tom Udall (D-NM) and Phil English (R-PA) held a press conference introducing H.R. 3881, The Promotion of Artistic Giving Act of 2007, to amend the overly restrictive changes made to the tax treatment of fractional gifts in the Pension Protection Act of 2006. Fractional gifts are charitable donations to museums and galleries made in fractions over a number of years.

09-25-2007: H.R. 1312, a bill to expedite adjudication of employer petitions for aliens of extraordinary artistic ability, introduced by Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), also known as the Arts Require Timely Service Act (ARTS), was reported out of the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law to the House Judiciary Committee by yeas and nays: 7 to 5. For further information on this issue, please read a October 20 article from the Washington Post here.

09-24-2007: The House Ways & Means Committee held an oversight hearing on whether charitable organizations serve the needs of diverse communities. Americans for the Arts submitted testimony that is available here.

09-10-2007: The House Education & Labor Committee held a hearing, "Miller/McKeon Discussion Draft of ESEA Reauthorization" and reviewed new proposals relating to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The Arts Education Working Group submitted comments and a set of legislative recommendations to strengthen arts education in NCLB.

07-24-2007: The House Ways and Means Committee held an oversight hearing on tax-exempt charitable organizations. Several arts-related organizations submitted comments in support of fractional gifts and IRA Rollover provisions.

07-19-2007: The U.S. House of Representatives approved the FY 2008 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill by a vote of 276-140. During floor consideration of the bill, a vote was taken to cut funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which failed 72-357 (Roll Call 662)

06-27-2007: The U.S. House of Representatives approved a new historic level of funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The bill provides a $35 million increase to the NEA—the largest in the history of the agency. The floor debate took place over two days, and of the many amendments offered to the bill, three specifically targeted cuts to the NEA. Read more about the debate here.

06-21-2007: The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2008 Interior bill in the same form it was approved by the subcommittee earlier in the week.

06-19-2007: The Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee approved a $9 million increase over current year levels for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in its FY 2008 spending bill. While the $9 million is much lower than the $35 million approved by the House a few weeks earlier, it is actually the largest increase provided by the Subcommittee since June 2002.

06-07-2007: The House Labor-Health-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for education programs at the U.S. Department of Education, approved $39 million for the Arts in Education program in the FY 2008 spending bill. This is the first time in seven years that the Arts in Education program has received any level of support from the House subcommittee. The subcommittee also funded a national arts education survey (FRSS) which has not taken place since 1999.

05-23-2007: The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), approved a $35 million increase for the NEA for its FY 2008 spending bill. If this funding level is maintained by the Senate and signed into law by President Bush, it will represent the largest increase in NEA history. The agency, currently funded at $124.4 million, has only seen increases of under three percent for the last several years.

Additionally, the National Endowment for the Humanities was also given enough of an increase to match the NEA at $160 million.

05-15-2007: The Congressional Arts Caucus, co-chaired by Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Chris Shays (R-CT), has sent a Dear Colleague letter with the signatures of 72 additional members of Congress to House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) and Ranking Member James Walsh (R-NY) calling for the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education to be funded at $53 million in the FY 2008 federal budget. The program is currently funded at $35.3 million.

04-19-2007: The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee held a public witness hearing and heard from two witnesses in support of the National Endowment for the Arts. Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chairs Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Chris Shays (R-CT) both testified in support of the agency as well. (Their testimony is linked.)

04-16-2007: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will change the visa processing rules to allow employers and agents more time to file visa requests for foreign guest artists. Extending the earliest filing date from 6 to 12 months will provide relief for those petitioners who are prepared to file far in advance of a performance. The arts community has asked for this rule change as part of its overall advocacy efforts to reduce the total processing times for O petitions (for individual foreign artists) and P petitions (for groups of foreign artists, reciprocal exchange programs, and culturally unique artists) filed by, or on behalf of, nonprofit arts-related organizations.

03-28-2007: Americans for the Arts testifed at the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee public witness hearing. Ayanna Hudson Higgins, the director of Arts Education at the Los Angeles County Arts Council, testified on behalf of Americans for the Arts and requested $53 million in FY 2008 funding for the Arts in Education progam at the U.S. Department of Education.

03-26-2007: The Congressional Arts Caucus is circulating NEA and Arts Education Dear Colleague letters, seeking $176 million in NEA funding and $53 million in funding for arts education at the U.S. Department of Education for FY 2008. The deadline for both letters is April 20.

03-20-2007: NEA Chairman Dana Gioia testified before the House Interior & Environment Appropriations Subcommittee.

03-14-2007: Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN) introduced H.R. 1524, allowing artists to claim a fair-market value tax deduction for gifts of their own works to collecting and educational institutions.

03-13-2007: Rep. Norm Dicks convened the House Interior & Environment Appropriations Subcommittee for a special hearing on the arts, marking Arts Advocacy Day.  Witnesses, including Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert Lynch, acclaimed jazz trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis and several other national leaders in the arts, asked for NEA funding to be restored to its 1992 level of $176 million.  Summary of the hearing with testimony is available here.

03-13-2007: The 2007 Arts Advocacy Day was held on Capitol Hill. For links to press articles and video of the events, visit our Arts Advocacy Day summary page.

03-08-2007: Reps. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Wally Herger (R-CA) introduced H.R. 1419, expanding tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes.

03-08-2007: Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) introduced S. 819, expanding tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts for charitable purposes.

03-05-2007: The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee (Chairman Norm Dicks, D-WA) announced a hearing to coincide with Arts Advocacy Day (March 13).  The hearing will focus on the role of the arts and in innovation and creativity.  Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert Lynch is among the witnesses invited to testify.

02-26-2007: Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Robert Bennett (R-UT) have introduced a bill, S. 548, designed to increase charitable gifts of art and manuscripts to collecting and educational institutions. Specifically, S. 548 would allow creators to claim a tax deduction for the fair market value of donated work that organizations retain and use in their mission. Currently, artists may only claim a deduction for the cost of materials, such as paint and canvas. The bill does not apply to gifts that are sold to raise funds, nor to donated artistic performances.

02-05-2007: The FY 2008 budget process got started on February 5 with the release of the President’s recommendations to Congress, which included a call for a small increase of $4 million for the NEA, which would bring it to $128.4 million. The increase would be for grants rather than for administrative costs, and represents a raise of just over three percent. It is the first time since 2004 that the president has initiated an increase for the agency. The proposed NEA budget falls short of the need to make a larger investment in the arts and is far below the NEA’s funding level of 15 years ago, when the agency received $176 million.  The President also proposed an increase of more than $8 million for museum grants through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which would represent an increase of about 30 percent for that agency's Office of Museum Services. Unfortunately, the president's budget request would eliminate designated funding for arts education programs at the U.S. Department of Education.

01-15-2007: The new leadership teams in the United States Senate and House of Representatives have finalized their choices to lead the arts-related appropriations subcommittees. On the Senate side, California Democrat Dianne Feinstein will chair the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds the NEA and NEH, while Larry Craig (R-ID) will serve as ranking member. At the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds the U.S. Department of Education’s arts education program as well as the Institute of Museum and Library Services, former Ranking Member Tom Harkin (D-IA) will take the gavel as chairman, while previous chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) becomes ranking member. In the House, Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA) will chair the Interior Subcommittee and will be joined by Ranking Member Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), a new face on the subcommittee. The House Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee will be led by Rep. David Obey (D-WI), who is also chairman of the full Appropriations Committee. The Ranking Member is Rep. James Walsh (R-NY).

01-08-2007: The House Democrats have named the Chairmen of the Appropriations Subcommittees. Included in the list is Rep. Norm Dicks (WA), who will chair the Interior Subcommittee, which oversees funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and Rep. Dave Obey (WI) at Labor-HHS-Education, which oversees the Department of Education’s Arts in Education program and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

01-01-2007: Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) was sworn in as chairwoman of the House Rules Committee. Rep. Slaughter was instrumental in reestablishing the bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus in 1997 and has served as its democratic co-chair since that time.