H.R. 7740: African American History Act of 2026
Sponsor
Kweisi Mfume
Democrat · MD-7
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 26, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Why it matters
$20 million over 5 years would help the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture build classroom materials, teacher training, translations, and online resources. If Congress funds it, schools and families would get a much larger pipeline of Black history content.
H.R. 7740 would authorize $4 million a year for five years, for a total of $20 million, to support African American history education through the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The museum's director could use that money for classroom resources, teacher workshops, fellowships, research, curriculum development, language translation, digitization, and traveling exhibitions. The bill also allows funding to continue programs the museum is already running.
The bill defines African American history broadly. It includes the African diaspora through the present day, including the passage to the Americas, slavery, abolition, Reconstruction, civil rights movements, and the contributions of African Americans to the United States.
It also requires public oversight. The museum director would have to file a public report every year by February 1 and brief key House and Senate committees within six months of the first funding distribution, then annually after that through September 30, 2030.
Separately, the bill includes a statement saying Congress believes the federal government should help improve teaching about African American, Hispanic and Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and Native American history through what the bill calls a social justice and anti-bias lens.
What does H.R. 7740 do?
$20 million over five years for Black history education
The bill authorizes $4 million for fiscal year 2027 and each of the next four years, adding up to $20 million total.
Smithsonian-backed teaching materials and exhibits
The museum could create and distribute digital resources, print materials, traveling exhibitions, publications, and online content for educators, students, and families.
Teacher training and fellowships expand
Funding could support workshops, professional development, teacher training, and a fellowship program meant to build leaders in African American history education.
Materials could be translated and digitized
The bill allows funding for language translation, digitization, collection access, staffing, conservation, and processing so more people can use the museum's work.
Current programs can keep running
If the museum is already doing eligible work when the bill becomes law, the new funding could be used to continue those activities.
Congress gets yearly public reporting
The museum director would have to publish a yearly report by February 1 and give annual congressional briefings starting within six months of the first funding distribution. Those oversight requirements end on September 30, 2030.
Who benefits from H.R. 7740?
Teachers who need ready-to-use Black history materials
Teachers could get new lesson resources, workshops, training, and fellowships built with Smithsonian support instead of piecing materials together on their own.
Students and families looking for accessible history content
Students and families could see more online resources, interactive tools, translated materials, and traveling exhibits designed for public use.
Schools and local education leaders
Elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools could work with museum-supported programs and could be encouraged to adopt those resources across different subjects.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture
The museum would gain up to $20 million in authorized federal support to expand collections work, digitization, staffing, research, and public education.
Who is affected by H.R. 7740?
The Smithsonian museum director
The director would decide how the money is used, keep public-facing resources updated, and handle yearly reports and congressional briefings.
Congress
Congress would have to decide whether to actually provide the authorized funding and would receive annual reports and briefings if the program launches.
House and Senate oversight committees
The House Committee on House Administration and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration would receive annual briefings on how the program is being carried out.
Other Smithsonian minority-history museums
They do not get money under H.R. 7740, but the bill includes a statement saying Congress wants similar educational leadership for Native American, Latino, and other minority-history museums.
H.R. 7740 Common Questions
How much money does H.R. 7740 provide?
H.R. 7740 authorizes $4 million a year for five years, for a total of $20 million. Congress would still need to actually appropriate that money.
What would the money in H.R. 7740 pay for?
It could fund digital lessons, print materials, traveling exhibitions, research, curriculum work, teacher training, fellowships, translation, digitization, and public programming through the Smithsonian museum.
Would H.R. 7740 help teachers directly?
Yes. The bill allows workshops, professional development, teacher training, and a fellowship program to support educators teaching African American history.
What counts as African American history in the bill?
The bill defines it broadly: the African diaspora through today, including the passage to the Americas, slavery, abolition, Reconstruction, civil rights movements, and African American contributions to the U.S.
Can families and students use the resources too?
Yes. H.R. 7740 lets the museum build website content and other resources specifically for educators, students, and families.
Does H.R. 7740 fund programs already underway?
Yes. If the museum is already running an eligible activity when the bill becomes law, the funding could be used to continue it.
Would Congress get reports on how the money is used?
Yes. The museum director would have to publish a report every year by February 1 and give annual briefings to key House and Senate committees after funding starts.
Does H.R. 7740 also fund Native American or Latino history programs?
No. The money in H.R. 7740 is for African American history education. The bill does include a statement saying Congress wants broader federal leadership on other minority-history education too.
Based on H.R. 7740 bill text
Cost & Funding
Authorization: $4,000,000 a year for 5 years, or $20,000,000 total
- —That works out to $4 million annually from fiscal year 2027 through the following four fiscal years.
- —The money would go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture for education programs, public resources, digitization, translation, and teacher support.
- —This is an authorization, not automatic spending. Congress would still need to appropriate the money.
- —The bill also allows the funding to continue eligible museum activities already underway when the law takes effect.
HR7740 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 26, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
About the Sponsor
Kweisi Mfume
Democrat, Maryland's 7th congressional district · 39 years in Congress
Committees: Oversight and Government Reform, Foreign Affairs
View full profile →
Cosponsors (96)
All 96 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 33 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, and 30 more.
Eleanor Norton
Democrat · DC
Jerrold Nadler
Democrat · NY
Sanford Bishop
Democrat · GA
Bennie Thompson
Democrat · MS
Lloyd Doggett
Democrat · TX
Zoe Lofgren
Democrat · CA
Danny Davis
Democrat · IL
Diana DeGette
Democrat · CO
James McGovern
Democrat · MA
Gregory Meeks
Democrat · NY
Janice Schakowsky
Democrat · IL
Betty McCollum
Democrat · MN
Committee Sponsors
Committee on House Administration
1 of 12 committee members cosponsored
3 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 7740 Quick Facts
- Committee
- House Administration
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Arts, Culture, Religion
- Introduced
- Feb 26, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.
Feb 26, 2026
Official Sources
Official Congress.gov page for the African American History Act of 2026, including status, text, sponsors, and actions.
This committee would receive annual briefings from the museum director under the bill’s oversight provisions.
This Senate committee is named in the bill as a recipient of annual briefings about funded programs and activities.
H.R. 7740 Bill Text
“To authorize the Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture to support African American history education programs, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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