Ted Lieu (D-CA)
21st Century Federal Writers’ Project Act
A Democratic bill with 5 Democratic cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
H.R. 9558 establishes the 21st Century Federal Writers' Project Act to document the American experience for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The National Endowment for the Arts will run a competitive grant program to fund nonprofit organizations, state arts agencies, and commissions that hire writers, photographers, and artists. The bill creates an advisory panel and mandates an editorial framework to ensure projects cover various geographic regions and demographics. Grant recipients must submit their finished works to a public repository and the Library of Congress for permanent archiving and distribution. Finally, the Chair of the NEA must report annually to Congress on how the program is operating and spending its funds.
Yes· 3 of 25
- Scored +4
Is this likely to create jobs?
The bill creates employment opportunities for writers, photographers, and documentary artists through grant funding.
- Scored +3
Would students be better off under this?
Provides free public access to historical and cultural repositories for educational use.
- Scored +3
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Directly mandates inclusion of rural areas and provides barrier-free grants to under-resourced local entities.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The legislation authorizes federal grant funding and allows up to 20 percent for administrative costs.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 3(c)(2): This provision waives the standard matching requirement for grants. This is positive because it removes financial hurdles that often prevent smaller or under-resourced community organizations from applying for federal funding.
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Section 3(d)(2) and Section 3(g): These sections open up eligibility to diverse groups—including nonprofit organizations, State arts agencies, Tribal communities, and rural areas—while requiring geographic and demographic balance. This ensures that historically underserved communities across the country get a fair chance to share their unique local histories and stories.
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Section 3(h): This section directs the creation of a publicly accessible repository and an archive program within the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. This benefits the public by making completed books, digital media, audio recordings, and visual works freely available for future generations to study and enjoy.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 3(j): This provision allows the Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts to reserve up to 20 percent of the program's funds for administrative costs. This could be viewed as a negative because it takes a significant portion of taxpayer money away from actual writers and artists on the ground and puts it toward bureaucratic overhead.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Directly mandates inclusion of rural areas and provides barrier-free grants to under-resourced local entities. Would students be better off under this? — Provides free public access to historical and cultural repositories for educational use. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Mandates demographic balance and inclusion of diverse cultural histories in the funded projects. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — Promotes inclusive storytelling that captures the diverse backgrounds making up the American experience. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Ensures cultural and regional representation of Hispanic communities within the national documentation project. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Captures stories of diverse immigrant experiences as part of the broader American portrait. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Removes matching fund requirements to help under-resourced and smaller community organizations participate. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Explicitly includes tribal communities in the outreach and geographic scope of the grant program. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? Would children be better off under this? — Educational resources and cultural histories will be archived for future generations. Would farmers be better off under this? — Includes agricultural communities and rural histories within the project's thematic scope. Would LGBTQ people be better off under this? Would people in cities be better off under this? — Covers urban communities in its geographic scope for documenting local history. Would white Americans be better off under this? Would women be better off under this?
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — Requires regular reporting to Congress and public repositories for all completed works. Does this protect the individual right to speak freely? — Encourages diverse public discourse and creative expression through documented American experiences. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — Involves state arts agencies and state commissions in program administration. Does this give the federal government more power? — Establishes a new federal grant program managed through the National Endowment for the Arts.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill creates employment opportunities for writers, photographers, and documentary artists through grant funding. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Nonprofit organizations and local groups benefit from accessible grant programs without matching requirements. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Modest grant investments support cultural and creative industries. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The legislation authorizes federal grant funding and allows up to 20 percent for administrative costs.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this protect what people are allowed to say in public life? — Support for writers, journalists, and public archives promotes open expression and documentation of American culture. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill mandates geographic and demographic balance, ensuring diverse stories from various communities are documented.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Explicitly includes rural and tribal communities in geographic coverage requirements for cultural grants.
- 10/22/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/30/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Maxwell FrostDemocrat · Florida
Teresa Leger FernandezDemocrat · New Mexico
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Paul TonkoDemocrat · New York
Nikema WilliamsDemocrat · Georgia