“A bill to permit the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum to be located within the Reserve of the National Mall, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section authorizes the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum to be located within the National Mall Reserve, notwithstanding prior law including 40 U.S.C. §8908(c), and strikes prior restrictive language in sec. 107(d) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (20 U.S.C. §80t–5(d)). The section revises procedures under sec. 107(b) of the 2021 Act (20 U.S.C. §80t–5(b)) for siting the museum on land under another federal agency's jurisdiction by requiring (1) the Smithsonian Board of Regents to notify the agency head; (2) the agency head to notify specified congressional committees (Senate Committees on Rules and Administration, Appropriations, and Energy and Natural Resources; House Committees on House Administration, Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Appropriations) of the designation and impending transfer; and (3) the agency to transfer administrative jurisdiction to the Smithsonian as soon as practicable after committee notification. The section revises sec. 104(b)(4) of the 2021 Act (20 U.S.C. §80t–2(b)(4)) to require the museum's Council to ensure that exhibits and programs accurately represent varied cultures, histories, events, and values of U.S. women by seeking guidance from a broad array of knowledgeable and respected sources reflecting diversity of political viewpoints and authentic experiences (defined to include varied ideologies, cultures, and lived experiences; sources are individuals whose expertise has been relied upon by women's communities for education or heritage). The section further requires the Smithsonian Secretary to submit compliance reports to the specified congressional committees described above, initially within 120 days of enactment and every two years thereafter, describing actions taken on current and future exhibits and programs to meet the requirements of the amendment in subsection (c). All changes apply as if included in the 2021 Act (20 U.S.C. §80t et seq.).