Source: Arts Action Fund

NEA Sees $2 Million Boost

Late last night (April 30 > May 1), Congress reached a bipartisan budget deal to fund the federal government through September 30, 2017. This comes after a one-week stop-gap measure was passed on April 28, giving Congress a few extra days to work out a more comprehensive deal.

The National Endowment for the Arts will see an increase of almost $2,000,000, setting the agency’s budget at close to $150,000,000 for the current fiscal year if and when this budget proposal gets final approval this week. In fact, all of the federal government’s cultural agencies either remained at level funding, or saw an increase in the budget deal. In late March, President Trump’s proposal for the original Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government through September 30 included a $15 million cut to the NEA. This new increase though reflects similar proposals by the House late last fall to increase NEA funding.

The budget now heads to the House and Senate for adoption, and then to the President’s desk for his signature by the end of the week. No issues are expected in the approval process.

A big thank you to all arts advocates who emailed, called, tweeted, and even met with Congressional representatives so far this year!

Work on the FY2018 budget (Oct 1, 2017 – Sept 30, 2018) will take place this summer through early fall. President Trump’s proposal for the FY18 budget included total elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, among other cultural agencies.

The Nitty Gritty

Read the Full Budget Legislation (pgs. 879-880 & 893-894)

Read the Spending Directives for the NEA’s funding (pg 58)

Read an update from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies here.