Issue: IMLS Office of Museum Services Funding
Issue
IMLS is the primary federal agency responsible for helping museums connect people to information and ideas. Its Office of Museum Services (OMS) awards grants to museums to support educating students, preserving and digitizing collections, and engaging communities. Grants are awarded in every state, but current funding has allowed the agency to fund only a small fraction of the highly rated grant applications it receives. Congress has regularly reauthorized IMLS with broad bipartisan support, most recently in 2018. OMS has set a strong record of congressional support during the appropriations submission process in each of the last seven years, with 178 Representatives and 41 Senators signing the FY 2020 appropriations letters on its behalf. IMLS received $252 million in FY 2020 appropriations, of which $38.5 million went to OMS.
- We urge Congress to provide $42.7 million in FY 2021 for OMS, the amount approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last year.
Download the PDF of the full IMLS Office of Museum Services Funding Issue Brief
COVID-19 & IMLS Funding
- Senator Booker Sign-On Letter – Phase 4 Economic Relief for Museums
- Reps. Dingell and Upton House Leadership Museum Priorities Phase 4 Letter
- July Museum Community Emergency Economic Relief Request Letter
- Museum Community Phase 4 Economic Relief Request Letter
- Museum Community Phase 3 Economic Relief Request Letter
Supporting Letters and Testimony
- FY 2021 Senate Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2021 House Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2020 Senate Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2020 House Labor-HHS-ED Public Witness Appropriations Testimony (oral)
- FY 2020 House Labor-HHS-ED Public Witness Appropriations Testimony (written)
- FY 2020 House OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2020 Senate OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2019 Senate Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2019 House Labor-HHS-ED Public Witness Appropriations Testimony (oral)
- FY 2019 House Labor-HHS-ED Public Witness Appropriations Testimony (written)
- FY 2019 House OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2019 Senate OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2018 Senate Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2018 House Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2018 House OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2018 Senate OMS Funding Letter
- Alliance Leads 63 Museum Organizations Supporting IMLS Reauthorization Legislation
- FY 2017 House Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2017 Senate Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2017 House OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2017 Senate OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2016 House Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2016 Senate Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations Testimony
- FY 2016 House OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2016 Senate OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2015 Senate Labor-HHS-ED Testimony
- FY 2015 Letter to House Budget Committee
- FY 2015 House OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2015 Senate OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2015 House Labor-HHS-ED Testimony, Submitted by Don Wildman
- FY 2014 House Labor-HHS-ED Testimony
- FY 2014 Senate Labor-HHS-ED Testimony
- FY 2014 House and Senate OMS Funding Letters
- FY 2013 Senate Labor-HHS Testimony
- FY 2013 House Labor-HHS Comments and Testimony
- FY 2013 House OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2013 Senate OMS Funding Letter
- FY 2012 House OMS Funding Letter
- Alliance Comments on IMLS Strategic Plan