H.R. 10475: Protecting Our History Act of 2026

This bill would set rules meant to keep the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), and other federally supported museums and cultural institutions free from political control over what they research, display, or teach.

General approach

The bill says that executive branch officials, including the President and agencies, could not use executive orders or other actions to:

• stop or limit exhibits, research, or educational programs;
• direct the content of exhibits or programming; or
• tie federal funding to political or ideological conditions.

It would also say that decisions about exhibit content belong to the institutions’ governing bodies and professional staff, not to federal political officials, except where other laws apply.

Rules for Smithsonian and similar institutions

The bill would apply broadly to the Smithsonian and to other museums, cultural centers, and heritage institutions that receive federal funding, recognition, or partnership support. It states that these institutions should present history in a factual, evidence-based, and inclusive way, including material about racism, sexism, classism, and the contributions of underrepresented groups.

It would also require the Smithsonian Board of Regents to adopt anti-retaliation policies protecting directors, scholars, curators, archivists, and researchers from punishment or pressure based on the substance of their work.

Funding protections and enforcement

The bill would prohibit federal funds from being denied, reduced, or conditioned based on the subject matter of a museum’s exhibits or programs. It would also bar the Office of Management and Budget from withholding or reprogramming money for that reason.

If an institution or covered person believes they were retaliated against or improperly interfered with, the bill would allow them to sue in federal court in Washington, D.C. It would also create a legal presumption of harm when an executive action threatens an institution’s content, collections, or operations.

The bill extends federal whistleblower protections to certain museum and advisory personnel who report violations to Congress or an inspector general. It also directs the Smithsonian inspector general to perform annual audits of attempts to influence Smithsonian content or operations.

Special provisions for the National Museum of African American History and Culture

The bill gives the NMAAHC a special legal status as the main national institution for collecting, preserving, researching, and presenting African American history and culture. It says this adds to, and does not replace, the existing law that created the museum.

It also states that the NMAAHC Council has subject-matter authority over the museum’s collections, exhibits, educational programming, and scholarly direction, and designates the Council as a “mission fiduciary” for the museum’s congressional purposes. The Council would be able to sue federal officers or agencies if they:

• direct or block museum content or research;
• withhold or condition funding based on exhibit content;
• retaliate against museum personnel; or
• otherwise interfere with the Council’s duties.

The bill says such interference would count as a concrete injury for standing in court and would allow remedies such as injunctions, orders restoring funding, and attorney’s fees.

Other protections and reporting

The bill would require the Smithsonian to preserve and strengthen its work on African American history across relevant museums, archives, and programs. If federal action threatens NMAAHC collections or programming, the Smithsonian would be directed to coordinate with partner institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities, for temporary custody and digital preservation.

It would also require annual reports to congressional committees from both the Smithsonian Secretary and the NMAAHC Council describing any attempted interference, actions taken in response, and any related litigation.

Funding authorization

The bill authorizes specific funding amounts for NMAAHC beginning in fiscal year 2026, including money for collections, digitization, research, education, preservation, and legal or administrative protections related to independence.

Relevant Companies

None found