HR-1330-119
Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sponsored by Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY)
What it does
This bill would authorize the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino to be located within the Reserve of the National Mall — an area where new construction is otherwise restricted by law. It would also establish a process for transferring land jurisdiction from other federal agencies to the Smithsonian if the chosen site is under another agency's control. Additionally, it would require the museum's Board of Trustees to seek guidance from a broad range of sources reflecting diverse political viewpoints and lived experiences within Hispanic and Latino communities when creating or substantially revising exhibits and programs, and would require biennial reports to Congress on compliance with those content requirements.
Who benefits
Hispanic and Latino Americans (approximately 63 million people) who would gain a dedicated national museum on the Mall recognizing their history and culture. Tourists and the general public who visit the National Mall. Historians, educators, and researchers focused on Latino history. Conservative and politically diverse Latino voices and organizations who would gain a formal role in shaping museum content under the diversity-of-viewpoints provision. The Smithsonian Institution, which would gain a new flagship museum and a prominent site. Local Washington, D.C. businesses and hospitality industries that benefit from increased tourism.
Who is hurt
Preservation and open-space advocates who oppose new construction within the National Mall Reserve, which is protected under existing law (40 U.S.C. § 8908(c)). Other groups or institutions that may have sought the same or adjacent Mall sites. Federal agencies that could be required to transfer land jurisdiction under the bill's notification-and-transfer mechanism. Taxpayers who would bear construction and operating costs, though specific appropriations are not included in this bill. Latino community organizations or curators whose perspectives may be diluted or overridden by the mandated broad-viewpoint consultation process.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that Hispanic and Latino Americans — the largest ethnic minority group in the United States at roughly 19% of the population — are the only major group without a dedicated Smithsonian museum on the National Mall, and that this bill corrects a long-standing gap in national recognition. They contend that the Mall site is essential for visibility and accessibility, consistent with the placement of other cultural institutions, and that the viewpoint-diversity requirement ensures the museum will authentically represent the full ideological and cultural spectrum of Latino communities rather than a narrow perspective.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that placing the museum within the National Mall Reserve sets a precedent that undermines the legal protections specifically enacted to preserve the Mall's open character, and that exceptions for one institution invite future erosion of those protections. They contend that the bill's mandated "diversity of political viewpoints" requirement for museum content is an unusual form of government editorial control over a cultural institution, potentially entangling Congress in ongoing oversight of exhibit content — raising questions about whether such requirements could chill curatorial independence or be selectively applied to other Smithsonian museums.