Equitable Arts Education Enhancement Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 5399 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5399 To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to support arts education at minority-serving institutions of higher education. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 16, 2025 Ms. Kamlager-Dove (for herself, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Fields, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Thanedar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to support arts education at minority-serving institutions of higher education. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Equitable Arts Education Enhancement Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) According to a 2021 study by Americans for the Arts, the arts are an invaluable aspect of American society, as they strengthen the economy, improve healthcare, spark creativity and innovation, and unify communities, with 73 percent of participants agreeing that the arts help them to better understand other cultures. (2) The American Alliance of Museums found that ``93 percent of museum directors are white, as are 92.6 percent of board chairs and 89.3 percent of board members'', reflecting a clear lack of diversity in the leadership of museums. (3) Minority-serving institutions, or ``MSIs'', are uniquely positioned to produce a diverse generation of art professionals and help bring much needed attention to works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists. MSIs have historically served as long-standing conservators and crucial supporters of artist from diverse b