§80t–2 Council

Summary

Creates a council inside the Smithsonian to plan, run, and care for the Museum of women’s history and culture. The council must advise the Board of Regents on the Museum’s planning, design, construction, day-to-day running, upkeep, and preservation. It will recommend the Museum’s annual operating budget, report each year on items bought, sold, or displayed about women’s art, history, and culture, and make its own bylaws. Under the Board’s general policies, the council has the authority to acquire or remove objects for the collection (money from sales must be used to buy more items), set rules for how the collections are used for programs, education, exhibits, and research about women’s life, art, history, culture, their role in U.S. history, and their contributions to society, and to preserve, restore, and accept gifts to support the Museum. The council must, as much as possible, make sure exhibits and programs show an equal representation of the different political viewpoints held by women in the United States on events and issues in women’s history. The council has 25 voting members. One each is appointed by the Senate majority leader, Senate minority leader, Speaker of the House, and House minority leader. The Secretary of the Smithsonian and one Board of Regents member (chosen by the Board) also serve. Nineteen members are appointed by the Board of Regents, which should especially consider members of the Congressional Commission, board members of the National Women’s History Museum (a 501(c)(3) started in 1996 in D.C.), and scholars or organization representatives who study women’s history. The Board had to make initial appointments not later than 180 days after December 27, 2020. Appointed members serve 3-year terms, with the first nineteen staggered as 7 for 1 year, 6 for 2 years, and 6 for 3 years. Members may serve up to 2 terms. Vacancies are filled the same way and do not stop the council from working. Members do not get pay but may receive travel costs and per diem at the rates allowed for federal employees under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. The council elects a chair by majority vote, must meet at least twice a year (at least 4 times in the first year after its first meeting), and a majority of voting members is a quorum.