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Section-by-Section Analysis
of draft legislation
to establish the
National Museum of the American Indian

The draft legislation incorporates the requirements of section B of Article Second of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. It also includes language to facilitate the relationship of the General Services Administration to Smithsonian activities at the Custom House.

[[underlined]] Section 101 [[/underlined]]  authorizes the establishment within the Smithsonian Institution of the National Museum of the American Indian for purposes relating to the collection, preservation, study, and exhibition of material associated with the indigenous people of the Western Hemisphere, and to provide means for doing so in the District of Columbia, the State of New York, and elsewhere as appropriate.

[[underlined]] Section 102 [[/underlined]] (a) appropriates to the Smithsonian the block directly east of the National Air and Space space as the permanent site of a building for the national museum of the American Indian;
(b) directs the establishment of a facility of 82,500 square feet, including space shared with the General Services Administration, in the old New York Custom House designated "The George Gustav Heye Center" of the new museum; and
(c) directs establishment of a facility for the conservation and storage of museum collections at the Institution's Museum Support Center.

[[underlined]] Section 103 [[/underlined]] authorizes the Board of Regents to plan, design, and construct, or otherwise acquire the aforementioned facilities which together must aggregate 400,000 square feet.

[[underlined]] Section 104 [[/underlined]] pledges the faith of the United States to provide funds for museum planning, design, and construction and for administration, maintenance, operation, and preservation of the museum and its collections.

[[underlined]] Section 105 [[/underlined]] (a) establishes a board of trustees of the museum;
(b) directs the trustees to recommend budgets and provide advice and assistance to the Regents on museum matters, and, subject to policy of the Regents, exercise a series of other authorities relating to the use and management of collections;