Proposed Irish American Museum Study Gets $3.2M Budget, Mandates Zero Federal Funding for Future Operations

This bill, titled the Commission to Study the Creation of a National Museum of Irish American History, doesn't actually build a museum—it sets up a temporary, 23-member commission to figure out if we should. Think of it as a very expensive feasibility study. The Commission has a clear mandate: spend up to $2.1 million in the first year and $1.1 million in the second to plan out every detail of a potential National Museum of Irish American History in or around Washington, D.C.

The Commission: Policy Experts and Cultural Insiders

Getting this study off the ground involves a lot of appointments. The President will pick 7 members, and Congressional leaders (the Speaker, Majority, and Minority leaders from both chambers) will collectively appoint 16 more. These 23 people must have expertise in Irish-American culture, history, or museum administration. This isn't just a political rubber stamp; the bill explicitly requires members to demonstrate a commitment to these topics or have experience running similar cultural museums. The Commission members serve without pay, but they can get reimbursed for travel—so no salary, but your flight to D.C. is covered (SEC. 6).

The Homework: Location, Governance, and Zero Tax Dollars

The Commission has a massive to-do list (SEC. 4). They need to figure out the best location for the museum, how it should be governed (should it be part of the Smithsonian?), and exactly how much it will cost to build and run. They must consult with major planning bodies like the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts. Crucially, they also have to study whether a national museum would hurt smaller, regional Irish-American museums—a key check to ensure they don't accidentally pull the rug out from under local cultural efforts.

The Non-Negotiable: Financial Independence

Here’s the part that matters most to the average taxpayer: the bill requires the Commission to develop a detailed fundraising strategy that ensures the museum will never rely on federal funding for its ongoing operations and maintenance. This plan must be reviewed by an independent group to confirm its realism. This is a significant provision, aiming to avoid creating a new cultural institution that becomes a permanent drain on the federal budget. If they can’t prove they can raise private money for long-term upkeep, the whole idea might stall out (SEC. 4).

The Fine Print: Exemption and Transparency

While the Commission staff will be paid using the authorized $3.2 million, they won't be considered standard federal employees. More interestingly, the Commission is exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). FACA usually requires federal advisory groups to operate with high transparency, holding open meetings and making documents easily available to the public. Bypassing FACA means this study will operate with less public scrutiny than typical federal advisory bodies (SEC. 6). For busy people, this means less transparency on how key decisions are being made about the museum’s future.

The Timeline and The End

The Commission has 24 months after its first meeting to submit the main reports and fundraising plan to Congress and the President. They get another 12 months after that to submit the final legislative recommendations for actually building the museum. Once they hand in that last piece of paperwork, the Commission shuts down 30 days later (SEC. 7). In short, this bill is a funded, time-limited planning session designed to answer one big question: Can we build a major national museum that is financially self-sufficient, and if so, how?