Smithsonian Institution: Background and Issues for Congress

Summary

The Smithsonian Institution (SI) is a complex of museum, education, research, and revenue-generating entities primarily located in the Washington, DC, region, with additional facilities and activities across the United States and world, that reportedly employs 6,500 staff, supplemented by 6,300 volunteers. In fiscal year (FY) 2015, SI’s museums and zoo, which are open to the public largely without admission fee, were visited 28.2 million times, while its websites were accessed 116.6 million times.

Congress created SI in 1846, after it agreed to accept the bequest of James Smithson, an English scientist who left the bulk of his estate to the United States of America to found at Washington an establishment bearing his name. Governmental but organizationally separate and distinct from the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of the U.S. government, SI is overseen by a Board of Regents (Regents), composed of the Chief Justice, Vice President, Members of the House and Senate, and private citizens. The Regents are authorized by Congress to carry out a number of activities, and oversee certain SI entities established or authorized by Congress. Congress provides to SI an annual appropriation—in FY2016, this was approximately $696 million—and provides oversight of SI activities. In addition to carrying out authorities granted by Congress, it appears that SI acts pursuant to its role as trustee of the Smithson and other bequests and gifts to create additional entities to further SI missions.

This report provides an overview of SI organization and leadership roles, and entities created by Congress as well as those created by SI. It also provides background information on consideration of an SI museum in London, and Smithsonian related legislation introduced in the 114th Congress, including the following:

H.R. 3169, which would change the composition and appointment process of the Regents;

S. 2057 and H.R. 3702, companion measures that would authorize funds for SI to plan, design and build additional collections storage, hangars and laboratory space;

H.R. 3387, which would make SI subject to the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, Federal Advisory Committees Act, and require SI to hold open meetings; and

H.R. 4307, which would establish a new National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture within SI.