NHPRC Funding Pegged at $5 Million in Omnibus Bill

December 15, 2011—The House Appropriations Committee today released its version of an omnibus spending bill for FY 2012 that would fund the federal government until September 30, 2012.  The bill encompasses 9 of the 12 annual appropriations bills and includes all of the programs of interest to the archives, library, and history communities.  Three other FY 2012 appropriations bills already have been enacted.

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), which has funded approximately 3,000 archives and records projects nationwide during its 77-year history, would receive $5 million under the House omnibus appropriations bill.  This is the same amount approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee in its Fiscal Year 2012 Financial Services and General Government (FS&GG) funding bill.  The House Appropriations Committee’s version of the FS&GG bill provided just $1 million for NHPRC.  The $5 million funding level is $1.986 million less than the NHPRC received in FY 2011 but is the same amount requested by the White House for FY 2012.

The House Republican leadership’s bill is believed to include nearly all of the funding compromises worked out with the Senate Democratic leadership during the past few weeks.  However, no conference report was issued with the bill.

SAA and the National Coalition for History supported the Senate funding level of $5 million for NHPRC.