Museum and Library Services Act of 2003

MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES ACT OF 2003

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to strongly support passage of the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003.
I thank the Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Senator GREGG, and the Ranking Member, Senator KENNEDY, for working closely with me on this bill and for getting us to this point. This has been a long time in coming, and I am glad that we have worked out a bill with the other body that we can be proud to support. Indeed, the bill before us today is essentially the bill we approved in Committee on June 26th.

Last year, during the hearing I chaired on the Museum and Library Services Act, we heard directly from the museum and library communities about the recommendations for updating this law so its meets the future needs of museum and library users. I also extend my thanks to the museum and library communities for their efforts in this process.

Like S. 238, the legislation I introduced earlier this year, and S. 888, which I joined Senator GREGG in introducing, this bill doubles the minimum state allotment under the Library Services and Technology Act, which will enable smaller States like Rhode to benefit and implement the valuable services and programs that larger States have been able to put in place.

It also ensures that library activities are coordinated with the school library program I authored, which is now part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The bill includes an increase in the indemnity limits under the Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Act to ensure continued support for American museums as they facilitate international cultural exchanges through touring exhibitions here in the U.S. and loans of American art around the world.

The bill also establishes a reservation of 1.75 percent of funds for museum services for Native Americans, to match the reservation currently provided for library services under the Library Services and Technology subtitle.

The bill updates the uses of funds for library and museum programs and increases the authorization levels for the Library Services and Technology Act and the Museum Services Act.

We should meet these funding levels in the appropriations process due to this bill's strong bipartisan support. I personally believe that our libraries and museums should be more robustly funded, particularly as these institutions play increasingly important roles in our lives.

Again, I congratulate and thank my colleagues, in particular, Senators GREGG, KENNEDY, FRIST, and ENZI, on passage of this important legislation. I look forward to working with them to get this bill to the President's desk in September so that the bill's increase in the minimum state allotment will take effect in Fiscal Year 2004, as well as on ensuring increased funding for our Nation's libraries and museums.