Promoting the Arts, the Humanities, and Museum and Library Services

Executive Order 14084, Promoting the Arts, the Humanities, and Museum and Library Services, establishes a broad Federal policy to treat the arts, humanities, and museum and library services as essential to the nation’s well-being, democracy, and economic vitality. It directs the administration to advance equity (per Executive Order 13985) and to integrate arts and humanities into strategies that support community well-being, education, health, climate resilience, and civic engagement. The order creates the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) within the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to advise the President and senior agency heads, coordinate cross-agency initiatives, and promote private-sector engagement and public programs. It also calls for interagency cooperation across a long list of federal departments and White House policy offices to advance joint projects related to the arts, humanities, and museum/library services. The order emphasizes administration and oversight rather than creating new rights or new mandatory funding, relying on existing laws and appropriations. Key features include a structured, largely non-federal advisory committee (with both federal and up to 25 non-federal members), annual and biannual reporting and meetings, and a two-year duration for the PCAH unless extended. Implementation is to be carried out consistent with law and appropriations, and the order explicitly states it does not diminish existing authority or create new legally enforceable rights.