Following is the Information Alert AAM Government Affairs sent out to
members of the Museum Advocacy Team last night.

Barry Szczesny, Esq.
AAM Government Affairs
******************************************

Date:    October 1, 1997
To:      Museum Advocacy Team
About:   CONGRATULATIONS!!

Unofficial but reliable news: the House-Senate Conference on the
Interior Appropriations bill has agreed to a FY 1998 increase of
approximately 6 percent for the Office of Museum Services within IMLS.
This increase works out to about $1.3 million, for a total of $23.3
million, with most of the new funds going to joint museum-library
projects, while GOS and other programs hold steady at current levels.
(Note that the Office of Library Services, which is funded under a
different bill, also has funds for joint projects.)

The NEH will receive an increase of $700,000 which will be used to cover
administrative costs, for a total of $110.7 million.

As for NEA, which had been slated for elimination by its opponents this
year, it is to receive $98.0 million -- only a $1.5 million reduction
from last year -- and with less drastic structural changes than we
expected.  Additionally, we defeated attempts to impose a narrow,
arbitrary definition of "arts education."  While we are still awaiting
some details, the changes include:

-  an increase in the percentage of funds allotted to states, from 35%
to 40%.

-  priority for projects in underserved populations and for projects
"that will encourage public knowledge, education, understanding, and
appreciation of the arts."

-  a 15% cap on the amount of NEA funds any one state can receive -- not
including funds from a new category for touring programs or programs of
"national impact."

-  membership on the National Council on the Arts for 3 Senators and 3
Representatives.

-  permission to raise and invest private funds for use in support of
the agency's functions (applies to both NEA and NEH).

Please note that the House and the Senate must now separately approve
this agreement.  Usually this is a formality, but the NEA is such a
difficult issue that there could be problems.  We'll let you know if
further action is necessary.  But for now, take a deep breath.

A special thanks goes out to MAT members who contacted their Senator on
the conference committee:  Bennett (UT), Boxer (CA), Bumpers (AR), Burns
(MT), Byrd (WV), Campbell (CO), Cochran (MS), Domenici (NM), Dorgan
(ND), Gorton (WA), Gregg (NH), Hollings (SC), Leahy (VT), Reid (NV), and
Stevens (AK).  We encourage you to follow up with a thank you letter to
the Senator you contacted.

Thank you for sending us copies of your letters and responses from the
Hill.  They are of enormous help with our work.  Congratulations again on a
job well done.  Please contact us if you have any questions at
phone 202/289-9125; fax 202/289-6578 or via e-mail on the Government
Affairs page of the AAM Website at http://www.aam-us.org.