Sponsors (37)
The bill creates a bipartisan advisory council and annual reporting to strengthen preservation of African American history and culture—improving focus and institutional support—but does so at modest taxpayer cost and with risks of politicized appointments and constraints on nonmajor-party or nonpartisan expertise.
NEH, humanities organizations, schools, universities, and related nonprofits gain a dedicated advisory council that will recommend policies and programs to preserve African American history and culture, creating sustained institutional focus and tailored guidance.
NEH and the public will receive annual authoritative reports and studies on African American history and cultural preservation, improving information, planning, and accountability for preservation efforts.
The council's bipartisan composition is designed to build broader political support and reduce partisan turnover of recommendations, increasing the likelihood that policies and programs persist across administrations.
Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation could politicize council membership and slow the council's formation and effectiveness through partisan confirmation battles.
Two-party parity and a leadership-party restriction may exclude nonpartisan or third-party experts, narrowing the candidate pool and potentially limiting diversity of perspectives and independent scholarship.
The bill creates new federally compensated advisory positions (paid up to 50% of a senior-level daily rate), which will increase federal personnel costs borne by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a 12-member, bipartisan advisory council within NEH to evaluate programs and advise on African American history and culture, terminating after 10 years.
Creates a 12-member National Council on African American History and Culture inside the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to evaluate NEH programs, produce studies and policy recommendations, and advise the NEH Chair. Members are presidentially appointed with Senate confirmation, serve five-year staggered terms, must be private U.S. citizens, and the Council is evenly split by party with leadership from both parties. The Council meets at least twice a year, has a nine-member quorum, pays members a per‑diem at 50% of the SL/above-GS-15 daily rate for days worked and reimburses travel, and is set to terminate 10 years after enactment.
Official title: To establish a National Council on African American History and Culture within the National Endowment for the Humanities, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 12, 2026 by Kweisi Mfume · Last progress February 12, 2026