[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 3129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01077]


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NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES

National Endowment for the Humanities


Infrastructure Programs Subject to the Build America, Buy America 
Act

AGENCY: National Endowment for the Humanities; National Foundation on 
the Arts and the Humanities.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Build America, Buy America Act, Title IX of 
Division G of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, this 
notice identifies each Federal financial assistance program for 
infrastructure that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) 
administers.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Brundage, Director of Grant 
Management, National Endowment for the Humanities, 400 7th Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20506; (202) 606-8204; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    Section 70913 of the Build America, Buy America Act, Title IX of 
Division G of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, 
Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429 (the IIJA), directs the head of each 
Federal agency to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
and to Congress, including a separate notice to each appropriate 
congressional committee, a report that identifies each Federal 
financial assistance program for infrastructure administered by the 
Federal agency; and to publish the report in the Federal Register.

II. Identification of Agency Domestic Content Procurement Preferences

    Except for the Uniform Administrative Requirements at 2 CFR 
200.322, no statutes, appropriations acts, or other Federal laws, 
including those specifically referenced in section 70913(b)(2) of the 
IIJA, provide domestic content procurement preferences applicable to 
NEH awards.
    2 CFR 200.322 encourages Federal award recipients, to the extent 
permitted by law, to maximize their use of goods, products, and 
materials produced in the United States when procuring goods and 
services under Federal awards. This preference is applicable to all NEH 
awards. No exceptions or waivers have been granted by NEH.

III. Description of Agency Programs Supporting Infrastructure Projects

    NEH has identified two Federal Assistance Listings under which it 
supports infrastructure projects: Promotion of the Humanities Challenge 
Grants (Federal Assistance Listing 45.130), and the Promotion of the 
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access (Federal Assistance 
Listing 45.149).

1. Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants

    The Office of Challenge Programs' Infrastructure and Capacity 
Building Challenge Grants: Capital Projects program supports the 
design, purchase, construction, restoration, or renovation of 
facilities for humanities activities. This includes the purchase and 
installation of related moveable and permanently affixed equipment for 
exhibiting, maintaining, monitoring, and protecting collections 
(whether on exhibit or in storage), and for critical building systems, 
such as electrical, heating ventilation and air conditioning, security, 
life safety, lighting, utilities, telecommunications, and energy 
management.
    The Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants: Digital 
Infrastructure program supports the maintenance, modernization, and 
sustainability of existing digital scholarly projects and platforms.
    NEH awarded 69 Challenge Grants between fiscal years 2019 and 2021 
(38 in FY 2019, 21 in FY 2020, and 10 in FY 2021), and awarded a total 
of $24,355,694 in grant funding ($14,708,445 in FY 2019, $5,581,778 in 
FY 2020, and $4,065,471 in FY 2021).

2. Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

    The Division of Preservation and Access's Sustaining Cultural 
Heritage Collections program helps cultural institutions meet the 
complex challenge of preserving large and diverse holdings of 
humanities materials for future generations by supporting sustainable 
conservation measures that mitigate deterioration, prolong the useful 
life of collections, and support institutional resilience. This 
includes building environmental controls as part of preventive 
conservation.
    NEH awarded 45 Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections awards 
between fiscal years 2019 and 2021 (18 in FY 2019, 14 in FY 2020, and 
13 in FY 2021), and awarded a total of $6,953,645 in grant funding 
($2,678,805 in FY 2019, $1,876,479 in FY 2020, and $2,398,361 in FY 
2021).

III. Identification of Deficient Agency Programs

    The NEH infrastructure programs listed in Section II 
(Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants and Sustaining 
Cultural Heritage Collections) are inconsistent with section 70914 of 
the IIJA. NEH will work with OMB to ensure appropriate policies and 
procedures are in place to comply with the requirements of section 
70914 of the IIJA by May 14, 2022.

    Dated: January 14, 2022.
Samuel Roth,
Attorney-Advisor, National Endowment for the Humanities.
[FR Doc. 2022-01077 Filed 1-19-22; 8:45 am]
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