The Smithsonian Institution will receive $791 million under the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies fiscal year (FY) 2010 appropriations bill (H.R. 2996) (H. Rept. 111-316) that was signed into law by President Obama on October 30. This represents a $60 million increase over the FY 2009 level of $731 million.

Of that amount, $636 million is allocated to Salaries and Expenses which is $2 million more than the Obama administration requested. The increase above the request is designated for the museum-wide collections care initiative to assist the Institution in strengthening its efforts to preserve historical collections.

$125 million is allocated for Facilities Capital expenditures. The bill includes $20 million for the design of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture which will be built on the National Mall.

The bill includes $30,000,000 for the Legacy Fund in fiscal year 2010. The Legacy Fund was established in fiscal year 2008 to address major facility repair needs at the Smithsonian Institution. The conference report targets the money towards the development of a public-private partnership that will facilitate the reopening of the Arts and Industries Building, provided the funds are matched on a 1:1 basis with private contributions. The funding may be made available incrementally as private sector funding is raised.

The bill includes $250,000 for the Civil Rights History Project, a 5-year initiative to record oral and video histories of those who lived during the African American Civil Rights movement between 1954 and 1968. The Smithsonian and the Library of Congress jointly administer the program. The Library of Congress also received $250,000 in its FY 2010 budget for the project.

Here is a breakdown of the salary and expenses funding for Smithsonian history-related museums, archival and library programs.

  • Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage–$2.2 million
  • National Museum of American Art and Culture–$12.1 million
  • National Museum of American History–$22.2 million
  • National Museum of the American Indian–$32.8 million
  • National Air and Space Museum–$16.1 million
  • National Museum of National History–$47.7 million
  • Smithsonian Institution Archives–$1.8 million
  • Smithsonian Institution Libraries–$10 million