Title 20 › CHAPTER 26 — SUPPORT AND SCHOLARSHIP IN HUMANITIES AND ARTS; MUSEUM SERVICES › SUBCHAPTER I — NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES › § 952
Defines key words used in this part of the law. Humanities: the study and interpretation of language, literature, history, philosophy, law, archaeology, religion, ethics, art theory, and similar human-focused fields and how they relate to our diverse heritage and national life. The arts: many art forms like music, dance, theater, visual and craft arts, architecture, design, film, radio, TV, recordings, and traditional arts. Production: performances or presentations such as plays, dance, concerts, exhibitions, films, and recordings that meet standards the National Endowment for the Arts approves. Project: programs to promote the arts (creativity, commissions, training, public understanding) that can include renting or buying facilities, land, or equipment; renovation is allowed if federal spending for that project is $250,000 or less, or if two‑thirds of the relevant National Council members present and voting approve; for sections 954(p), 956(c)(10), and 956(h), construction is allowed only for demonstration or unusual cases with two‑thirds council approval. Group: any state or public agency or nonprofit organization, museum, or similar U.S. establishment. Workshop: an activity to help amateurs, students, or nonprofessionals develop or enjoy art, or to promote scholarship and teaching. State: the 50 states plus Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. Local arts agency: a community group or local government agency that mainly supports artists and arts organizations for the community. Developing arts organization: a promising local arts group that (1) is an important source of local arts programming and (2) can grow to broaden public access, especially in rural, inner‑city, or other underserved areas. Determined to be obscene: found obscene by a final judgment of a U.S. court with proper authority. Final judgment: a court decision that either is not reviewed by any higher court or cannot be reviewed. Obscene: for a project, production, workshop, or program, it (1) makes the average person view it as appealing to shameful sexual interest under current community standards, (2) shows sexual conduct in a clearly offensive way, and (3) taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
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Legislative History
Reference
Citation
20 U.S.C. § 952
Title 20, Education
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110