Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Act
Public Law 94-158 · S. 1800 · 94th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Gerald Ford (R) on Dec 20, 1975 · Arts, Culture, Religion
Sponsor: Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Jacob Javits
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Act - Authorizes the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities to make agreements to indemnify against loss or damage such items as works of art, manuscripts, artifacts and objects, and photographs, which are of educational, cultural, historical, or scientific value and the exhibition of which is certified by the Secretary of State as being in the national interest.
Sets forth procedures for application for such indemnity agreements. Provides that the aggregate of loss or damage covered by such agreements shall not exceed $250,000,000 at any one time, nor shall any such agreement for any single exhibition cover losses or damage in excess of $50,000,000.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act. Requires annual reports to the Congress on claims paid and pending under this Act, and the aggregate value of outstanding agreements entered into under this Act for that year.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Dec 20, 1975Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public law 94-158.
- Dec 9, 1975PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 8, 1975PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 4, 1975Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment.
- Dec 1, 1975FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 7782.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Jul 28, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Education and Workforce Committee
- Jul 25, 1975FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Jul 21, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- May 21, 1975CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.