Advocacy Alert – September 8, 2026

In this Alliance Advocacy Alert:

• Government Shutdown Averted, Proposed OMB Rule Delayed
• AAM Speaks Out Against Gutting Historic Preservation Rules
• IMLS Releases National Museum Survey and Grant Opportunities
• Civic Holidays Coming Up: Is Your Museum Participating?
• Advocacy Tip of the Month: Playing the Long Game

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Government Shutdown Averted, Proposed OMB Rule Delayed

Congress passed, and the President signed into law, a Continuing Resolution to fund the Federal Government at current levels through December 11, 2026. The Continuing Resolution included language that would also delay the OMB Proposed Rule on Regulations for Federal Financial Assistance through December 11, 2026. The bill passed both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support by a 90 to 6 vote in the Senate and 370 to 48 in the House.

The proposed OMB rule would gut peer review of grants, leaving funding decisions in the hands of political appointees and allowing grants to be terminated without any chance of appeal. If you are not familiar with the proposed rule, please view the July 2 Advocacy Alert for more information.

This rule would not only impact museums and other organizations who receive federal grants but also weaken state and local governments. According to Moody’s Ratings, the policy could downgrade local and state government credit ratings, making it more difficult and costly to borrow money for essential municipal projects such as schools and roads.

Even though the Continuing Resolution delayed the OMB proposed rule, our work to avoid these disastrous impacts is not over. We MUST continue to urge Congress to prevent the rule from going into effect. AAM has set up a draft letter you can use to contact your Congressional representatives with this message. Make sure you edit the letter to let them know how the proposed changes will impact you and your museum.

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AAM Speaks Out Against Gutting Historic Preservation Rules

AAM joined over 600 organizations in signing a letter calling on Congress to reject the efforts to gut Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the impacts a project has on historic properties and places and consider mitigation to limit damage. This process allows for the public, local governments, and tribal communities to weigh in with their local expertise. The proposed changes to Section 106 would eliminate the input of state and local governments, make public input an optional step, and end the requirement to consult with tribal communities.

To learn more about the proposed gutting of Section 106, visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

AAM is closely following this effort. Once a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is published in the Federal Register for public comments, we will submit comments to the proposal and post an action alert at that time.

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IMLS Releases National Museum Survey and Grant Opportunities

In August, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) released the results of its first National Museum Survey. Survey results include data on areas such as museum characteristics, admissions and visitors, digital presence, facilities, finances, and human resources. IMLS is expecting to launch research for its second edition on September 21, 2026. Museums should contact NMS@imls.gov or visit www.imls.gov/nms if they are interested in being invited to participate in the next survey.

Additionally, IMLS has opened applications for its next round of grants, with most having deadlines of November 13, 2026.

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Civic Holidays Coming Up: Is Your Museum Participating?

AAM is a partner of several upcoming nonpartisan civic holidays supporting voter education. We encourage museums to leverage their unique position as community pillars to participate in nonpartisan voter engagement activities and to help raise awareness.

The upcoming nonpartisan civic holidays are:

• National Voter Registration Day, September 15, 2026, aimed at helping voters know how and when to register.
• National Voter Education Week, October 5-9, 2026, aimed at helping voters understand the what, when, and where of voting.
• Vote Early Day, October 24, 2026, aimed at helping voters know how to vote early.

Follow the links for information and resources on participating. The National Council of Nonprofits has further resources for how nonprofits can engage in nonpartisan voter engagement activities.

If your museum is planning to participate in nonpartisan voter engagement activities this fall, please let AAM know.

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Advocacy Tip of the Month: Playing the Long Game

Advocacy is all about playing the long game—building relationships with your local, state, and federal representatives and their staffs so that you are better positioned when you really need their attention.

You don’t want your first contact with them to be in an emergency. Even if the representatives aren’t supportive of the issue you are currently discussing with them, there is still value in staying connected as there might be issues that arise in the future where there is room for agreement. Maintaining a good relationship for when those opportunities arise will make it easier to have those discussions. If you have no relationship it will be harder to get their attention, and if you have a contentious relationship they might not hear you at all.