State Advocacy Updates
- House Bill 5006, a bill which allocates $8.275 million in grants to 13 different arts and culture organizations (including some OMA member institutions), has passed and has received Governor Kotek's signature as of August 7th. Learn more about the bill and grant recipients here.
- Funding for Cultural Resources Economic Fund projects, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage, and the Oregon Arts Commission has been protected in the most recent short session.
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OR Collections Law - Proposed Statute Change:
Current Oregon statute (ORS 348.415- 358.440) outlines the legal process by which a museum can gain title to collection materials in their possession that are “loans,” defined as “all deposits of property with a museum that are not accompanied by a transfer of title to the property.” This definition includes all unsolicited deposits and objects found in collection, in addition to documented loans. The law as currently written creates significant time, cost, and paperwork burdens for museums. This often results in museums opting not to claim title to collections objects, and instead leaves the objects in limbo.
Members of Oregon’s museum community seek to update the statue. A small group of museum community-members have spent the past 6 months researching other state laws and have drafted a plain language proposal for new legislation. This group consists of representatives from Oregon Museums Association, Oregon Historical Society, the Oregon Heritage Commission, and a museum volunteer and consultant.
Learn more about the proposed changes and submit feedback via OMA's website.
Federal Advocacy Updates
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On November 21, 2025, a permanent injunction was granted by the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island in the case of Rhode Island vs. Trump stating that attempts to dismantle the IMLS were unlawful and unconstitutional. Any further attempts to carry out the Executive Order relating to IMLS were blocked by this injunction.
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The Senate is considering a package of four appropriations bills, including bills which would continue funding for the IMLS, the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through FY26. Use AAM's draft letters to urge your representatives to support funding for these agencies.
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To see the National Council of Nonprofits chart on how the most recent Executive Orders affect nonprofits, including analysis of the Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking EO, follow this link.
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Learn more about the FY2026 National Park Service Budget here.
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Read Democracy Forward's Press Release regarding the recent lawsuit by a coalition of organizations including AASLH, Union of Concerned Scientists, and more, which challenges the Department of the Interior Secretary’s Order 3431, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
Read recent reports by the National Parks Service which highlight the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program. Following each link, you can read the Annual Report on the Economic Impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credits for Fiscal Year 2024 and the Federal Tax Incentives for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2025.
National Museums Advocacy Day
The next Museums Advocacy Day hosted by the American Alliance of Museums is scheduled for February 23-24, 2026. Learn more about what's happening this year!
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