§7715 Army Museum System

Summary

The Secretary of the Army must run and support an official system of Army museums inside the United States Army Center of Military History. The system must include the National Museum of the United States Army and can include other museums the Secretary chooses if they meet set rules. Those rules must cover three things: the museum’s historical importance to Army actions, technology, or people; whether it is open to the public and has education programs; and whether it fits the Army’s goal of saving its history. The Secretary must also make rules for closing museums and cannot close one until notifying the House and Senate Armed Services Committees with a plan for the museum’s collections (how they will be preserved, stored, or shown elsewhere), how staff issues will be handled, any efforts to keep the museum open through public-private partnerships, and a cost study for moving and caring for the collections. The committees must have 90 days after they receive that notice before any closure. The Secretary may work with partners, including nonprofits, to help fund and promote the museums, as allowed by law.