# 119-hr-10475: Protecting Our History Act of 2026

119-hr-10475, Protecting Our History Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-26).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10475
- As of: 2026-09-26
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-10475
- Congress: 119
- Title: Protecting Our History Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-16
- Sponsor: Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Arts, Culture, Religion
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-26

## Summary

**Protecting curatorial independence** at federally supported cultural institutions while strengthening the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture with new legal tools and funding. This bill would lock in scholarly control over exhibits and guard museums from executive interference.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Congress may fund museums: benefit, medium. If enacted, this would let Congress approve money for the Smithsonian and other federally supported museums by authorizing “such sums as may be necessary.” The bill does not set specific dollar amounts or a schedule. Any actual spending would still need later appropriation acts. This authorization…
- Protect museum curators' independence: benefit, medium. If enacted, this would say the NMAAHC has exclusive control over its scholarly, curatorial, research, and exhibition work and that no U.S. officer may direct or block its content. The bill would bar executive orders or OMB actions from withholding, reprogramming, or impounding funds because of exhi…
- Board duties and preservation steps: benefit, medium. If enacted, this would require the Smithsonian Board of Regents to adopt written anti‑retaliation rules and internal reporting for museum staff. The Board would have to send any executive‑branch message that tries to limit NMAAHC content to the NMAAHC Council within 5 business days. The Board could…
- Whistleblower rights for museum staff: benefit, low. If enacted, this would extend federal whistleblower protections to museum directors, curators, archivists, researchers, and advisory council members at federally supported institutions. The protection would apply when those staff report violations to Congress or any Inspector General. This would gi…
- Enforce rights and punish interference: mixed, medium. If enacted, this would give the NMAAHC Council and affected institutions clear standing to sue federal officers in federal court to stop interference, restore withheld funds, and seek fees and other relief. It would create a rebuttable presumption of irreparable harm when content, collections, prog…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-9497: Water Resources Development Act of 2026
- 119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

## Sources
- [119-hr-10475 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10475)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-9497: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9497)
- [119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10421)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10475 (as of 2026-09-26).