---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 953"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "953"
heading: "National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/953"
units:
  - "Chapter 26 — Support and Scholarship in Humanities and Arts; Museum Services"
  - "Subchapter I — National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities"
---

# §953. National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities

- (a) **Establishment; composition—** There is established a National Foundation on [the Arts](/usc/20/952.md?p=b) and the [Humanities](/usc/20/952.md?p=a) (hereinafter referred to as the “Foundation”), which shall be composed of a National Endowment for [the Arts](/usc/20/952.md?p=b), a National Endowment for the [Humanities](/usc/20/952.md?p=a), a Federal Council on [the Arts](/usc/20/952.md?p=b) and the [Humanities](/usc/20/952.md?p=a), and an Institute of Museum and Library Services.
- (b) **Purpose—** The purpose of the Foundation shall be to develop and promote a broadly conceived national policy of support for the [humanities](/usc/20/952.md?p=a) and [the arts](/usc/20/952.md?p=b) in the United States, and for institutions which preserve the cultural heritage of the United States pursuant to this subchapter.
- (c) **Prohibition against Federal supervision over policy determination, personnel, or curriculum, or administration or operation of any school or other non-Federal body—** In the administration of this subchapter no [department](/usc/20/1221.md?p=c-3), agency, officer, or employee of the United States shall exercise any direction, supervision, or control over the policy determination, personnel, or curriculum, or the administration or operation of any school or other non-Federal agency, institution, organization, or association.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–209, § 4, Sept. 29, 1965, 79 Stat. 846; renumbered title I, § 4, and amended Pub. L. 98–306, §§ 2, 4, May 31, 1984, 98 Stat. 223; renumbered § 4 and amended Pub. L. 99–194, title I, §§ 101(1), 104, Dec. 20, 1985, 99 Stat. 1332, 1333; Pub. L. 111–340, title II, § 208(1), Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3602.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–340 substituted “Institute of Museum and Library Services” for “Institute of Museum Services”.

1985—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–194, § 104, struck out a second comma after “a National Endowment for the Humanities” and “(hereinafter established)” after “Institute of Museum Services”.

1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–306, § 4(a), substituted “, a Federal Council” for “and a Federal Council” and inserted “, and an Institute of Museum Services”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–306, § 4(b), inserted “, and for institutions which preserve the cultural heritage of the United States”.