 
                 CHAPTER 72--MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES
 
                     SUBCHAPTER III--MUSEUM SERVICES
 
Sec. 9173. Museum services activities


(a) Grants

    The Director, subject to the policy direction of the Museum Board, 
may make grants to museums to pay for the Federal share of the cost of 
increasing and improving museum services, through such activities as--
        (1) programs that enable museums to construct or install 
    displays, interpretations, and exhibitions in order to improve 
    museum services provided to the public;
        (2) assisting museums in developing and maintaining 
    professionally trained or otherwise experienced staff to meet the 
    needs of the museums;
        (3) assisting museums in meeting the administrative costs of 
    preserving and maintaining the collections of the museums, 
    exhibiting the collections to the public, and providing educational 
    programs to the public through the use of the collections;
        (4) assisting museums in cooperating with each other in 
    developing traveling exhibitions, meeting transportation costs, and 
    identifying and locating collections available for loan;
        (5) assisting museums in the conservation of their collections;
        (6) developing and carrying out specialized programs for 
    specific segments of the public, such as programs for urban 
    neighborhoods, rural areas, Indian reservations, and penal and other 
    State institutions; and
        (7) model programs demonstrating cooperative efforts between 
    libraries and museums.

(b) Contracts and cooperative agreements

             (1) Projects to strengthen museum services

        The Director, subject to the policy direction of the Museum 
    Board, is authorized to enter into contracts and cooperative 
    agreements with appropriate entities, as determined by the Director, 
    to pay for the Federal share of enabling the entities to undertake 
    projects designed to strengthen museum services, except that any 
    contracts or cooperative agreements entered into pursuant to this 
    subsection shall be effective only to such extent or in such amounts 
    as are provided in appropriations Acts.

                      (2) Limitation on amount

        The aggregate amount of financial assistance made available 
    under this subsection for a fiscal year shall not exceed 15 percent 
    of the amount appropriated under this subchapter for such fiscal 
    year.

                      (3) Operational expenses

        No financial assistance may be provided under this subsection to 
    pay for operational expenses.

(c) Federal share

                           (1) 50 percent

        Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Federal share described 
    in subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall be not more than 50 
    percent.

                     (2) Greater than 50 percent

        The Director may use not more than 20 percent of the funds made 
    available under this subchapter for a fiscal year to make grants 
    under subsection (a) of this section, or enter into contracts or 
    agreements under subsection (b) of this section, for which the 
    Federal share may be greater than 50 percent.

(d) Review and evaluation

    The Director shall establish procedures for reviewing and evaluating 
grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements made or entered into under 
this subchapter. Procedures for reviewing grant applications or 
contracts and cooperative agreements for financial assistance under this 
subchapter shall not be subject to any review outside of the Institute.

(Pub. L. 94-462, title II, Sec. 273, as added Pub. L. 104-208, div. A, 
title I, Sec. 101(e) [title VII, Sec. 702], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 
3009-233, 3009-303.)
