Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 43— - AMERICAN FOLKLIFE PRESERVATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 2103
Creates an American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and puts it under a Board of Trustees to run it. The Board has members appointed by different officials: four by the President (from federal officials who work with folklife), four by the President pro tempore of the Senate and four by the Speaker of the House (from private experts), and four by the Librarian of Congress (from private experts). There are also nine automatic members: the Librarian of Congress; the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts; the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities; the President of the American Folklore Society; the President of the Society for Ethnomusicology; the Director of the Center; the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Appointed members must serve six-year terms, with the first appointees staggered into two-, four-, and six-year terms as set out by the law, and replacement members serve the rest of an unexpired term. The President’s appointees serve only while they hold their federal jobs. Those who appoint private members must try to achieve diversity and regional balance, and no more than three appointees from either the Senate pro tempore or the Speaker may be of the same political party. The Librarian’s appointees must include at least two people who lead or serve on boards of major folklife organizations (other than the American Folklore Society and the Society for Ethnomusicology). Board members are unpaid but non–full-time federal employees may be paid travel and subsistence at the Librarian’s discretion. The Librarian calls the first meeting, where the Board elects a Chair and Vice Chair (initially for one year, then two-year terms). A majority is a quorum, and the Board must meet at least once each fiscal year. After consulting the Board, the Librarian must appoint a Director, whose pay is set under 5 U.S.C. 5376(b). The Director is the Center’s chief executive and, under the Board and the Librarian, is responsible for the Center’s work and staff.
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20 U.S.C. § 2103
Title 20 — Education
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73