Assembly Bill (AB) 716 established the California Cultural and Historical Endowment (CCHE) in 2002. Funds for the CCHE came from Proposition 40, the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002. $122 million in grants were distributed competitively for the acquisition, restoration, preservation, and interpretation of historical and cultural resources. In 2013, AB 482 (Atkins) authorized the creation of a specified competitive grant program administered by CCHE to support small capital projects in museums. On September 23, 2018, Senate Bill (SB) 1493 was approved and expanded the museum grant program’s project focus to include exhibits, educational programs, outreach programs, public programs, curriculum, marketing, and collections care in museums. The Budget Act of 2020 (SB 74) states that the California Natural Resources Agency shall prioritize the funds for museums severely affected by COVID-19 and that serve historically underserved communities and/or students subject to Title 1 of the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Budget Act of 2021(AB 128) appropriated $50 million for museum grants and directed the California Natural Resources Agency to continue prioritizing the funding for museums severely affected by COVID-19 and that serve historically underserved communities or students subject to Title 1 of the Federal Elementary and SecondaryEducation Act. On September 13, 2022, SB 963 amended the Museum Grant Program’s 20-year-old statutes to reflect the state’s evolving priorities.
