[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 117 (Friday, August 1, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10930-S10931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES ACT OF 2003

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 178, S. 888.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 888) to reauthorize The Museum and Library 
     Services Act, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate will consider 
and pass today a Substitute Amendment to H.R. 13, the Museum and 
Library Services Act of 2003. This substitute mirrors my bill, S. 888. 
Since I first introduced this legislation in April with several of my 
colleagues, it has been a bipartisan process. Over the past several 
months we have worked to build support for this language, so that today 
S. 888 has over 50 Senators as cosponsors. I thank my colleagues for 
their support. I particularly want to thank Senator Reed, Senator 
Frist, Senator Kennedy, and Senator Enzi for their efforts.
  This bill recognizes the importance of libraries and museums and 
provides them with continued federal support through the Institute of 
Museum and Library Services. In addition, it authorizes a doubling of 
the minimum state allotment under the Grants to State Library Agencies 
Program, up to $680,000. That provision allows for an increase, if 
appropriated, of 50% for New Hampshire's Federal library allotment 
under the law.
  Recognizing the key role that libraries play in fostering the 
academic achievement of our nation's schoolchildren, the Museum and 
Library Services Act of 2003 also requires that the director, where 
appropriate, ensure that the library activities of the IMLS are 
coordinated with the school library provisions of the No Child Left 
Behind Act.
  Furthermore, this bill increases the indemnity limits in the Arts and 
Artifacts Indemnity Act, thereby facilitating the international 
exchange and display of works of art, books, rare documents and other 
published materials, artifacts, and films and other audiovisual media. 
This will ensure that people throughout the world are exposed to 
American culture and that our own citizens will have richer educational 
opportunities available as well.
  In addition, S. 888 supports the efforts of President Bush and Mrs. 
Bush to recruit more librarians by allowing funds to be used for the 
recruitment of persons in library and information science. Over the 
next 16 years, America's libraries are projected to lose 58 percent of 
their professional librarians, and more than one-quarter of all 
librarians with master's degrees will reach the age of 65 before 2009. 
This bill will help to alleviate this shortage.
  The legislation contains a number of other important provisions. It 
prohibits projects determined to be obscene from receiving Federal 
funds, requires the Institute to conduct analyses of the need for 
museum and library services and the effectiveness of funded projects in 
meeting those needs, consolidates the library and museum advisory 
boards into one entity, and prohibits funds appropriated under the 
Act's authority from being used for library or museum construction.
  We have worked hard to reach an agreement on this language with our 
colleagues in the House, and expect that when the House returns from 
the August recess, they will pass this bill as well and send it on to 
the President for his signature. Again, I thank my colleagues for their 
support of this important legislation.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I strongly support the Museum and Library 
Services Act. Federal support of museums and libraries is appropriate 
and often essential to maintain the cultural and educational centers 
that provide valued resources for communities across the country. These 
institutions encourage learning, understanding, and respect for others 
in our diverse society, and their benefits are found in every 
neighborhood in America.
  As technology's role in our society becomes more significant than 
ever, wider access to the internet and other resources is increasingly 
important. Greater Federal funding for libraries and museums is 
especially important when local budgets are so hard-pressed.
  This bill supports the use of a wide range of media in both museums 
and libraries, enhancing access to exhibits and programs, and improving 
learning in a variety of formats. Library and museum advisory boards 
are consolidated into one body under this bill as a way to improve 
networks among museums, schools, and other community organizations.
  This bill is intended to increase the efficiency of library services 
and provide much-needed financial assistance. It encourages library 
services for peoples of all backgrounds, especially in under-served 
urban and rural communities, so that access to technology will be much 
more widely available to all.

[[Page S10931]]

  Support for museums is equally important. They help to preserve and 
maintain and explain the nation's history and heritage. They impart 
knowledge of other cultures as well. They inspire citizens of all ages 
to learn more about history, art, and science. Few experiences can more 
vividly excite the imagination of a child about our Nation's history 
than seeing an actual relic of an event they've read about or been told 
about. With this legislation, we can do more to enable museums to 
increase their services, bring more exhibits into more communities, and 
encourage the use of new technology and variety of media.
  Also, to ease the burden of insurance, our bill authorizes increased 
indemnity for art exhibits that might not otherwise take place because 
of rising costs.
  The House has passed a similar version of the bill by an overwhelming 
majority, and I hope the Senate will do the same. I particularly 
commend the leadership Senator Gregg, the Chairman of our HELP 
Committee, and the principal sponsor of this bipartisan legislation. I 
also commend Senator Reed, the principal cosponsor of the bill, who has 
so effectively carried on the commitment on this issue by his 
predecessor from Rhode Island, Senator Claiborne Pell. Our committee 
unanimously approved this bill, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate 
to approve it now.
  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.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a Gregg 
substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill be read a third 
time; that the HELP Committee be discharged from further consideration 
of H.R. 13, and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; 
that all after the enacting clause be stricken, and the text of S. 888, 
as amended, be inserted in lieu thereof; that the bill be read a third 
time, passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that 
S. 888 be returned to the calendar, and any statements related to the 
bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1541) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  (The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of 
Amendments.'')
  The bill (H.R. 13), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

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