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Title 20 — Education

Chapter 3 — Smithsonian Institution, National Museums and Art Galleries

§ 77a. Functions of museum

Statutory text

The national air and space museum shall memorialize the national development of aviation and space flight; collect, preserve, and display aeronautical and space flight equipment of historical interest and significance; serve as a repository for scientific equipment and data pertaining to the development of aviation and space flight; and provide educational material for the historical study of aviation and space flight.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 79–955 § 2 · 60 Stat. 997

    Enacted · 20 U.S.C. § 77a

    Aug. 12, 1946, ch. 955, § 2, 60 Stat. 998

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Aug. 12, 1946, ch. 955, § 2, 60 Stat. 998

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    Sec. 2. Said national air museum shall memorialize the national development of aviation; collect, preserve, and display aeronautical equipment of historical interest and significance; serve as a repository for scientific equipment and data pertaining to the development of aviation; and provide educational material for the historical study of aviation.

  2. the National Air Museum Amendments Act of 1965

    Pub. L. 89–509 · 80 Stat. 310

    1. Substituted · 20 U.S.C. § 77a

      Pub. L. 89–509 substituted “national air and space museum” for “national air museum”

    2. Inserted · 20 U.S.C. § 77a

      Pub. L. 89–509 inserted “and space flight” after “aviation” wherever appearing

    3. Substituted · 20 U.S.C. § 77a

      Pub. L. 89–509 substituted “aeronautical and space flight equipment” for “aeronautical equipment”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 89–509 substituted “national air and space museum” for “national air museum”, inserted “and space flight” after “aviation” wherever appearing, and substituted “aeronautical and space flight equipment” for “aeronautical equipment”.

1 of 4 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 3 partial

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1966—Pub. L. 89–509 substituted “national air and space museum” for “national air museum”, inserted “and space flight” after “aviation” wherever appearing, and substituted “aeronautical and space flight equipment” for “aeronautical equipment”.

Credits

1946–1966 · 2 acts
  1. 1946Aug. 12, 1946, ch. 955, § 2, 60 Stat. 998
  2. 1966Pub. L. 89–509, pt. I, § 4, , 80 Stat. 310.
Show as published

(Aug. 12, 1946, ch. 955, § 2, 60 Stat. 998; Pub. L. 89–509, pt. I, § 4, , 80 Stat. 310.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc20.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-04-17

USLM identifier /us/usc/t20/s77a