Public Law 94-201 creating the American Folklife Center was passed by the 94th Congress on January 2, 1976.
Established in 1976 by a Title 20 Education Act, the American Folklife Preservation Act (P.L. 94-201) is a small and versatile organization designed to operate in cooperation with other federal state and local agencies and organizations and to initiate independent programs using its own resources. It is mandated by Congress to engage in a broad range of educational and research activities that preserve, revitalize, and present America's rich and diverse cultural heritage -- a heritage associated with ethnic, regional, and occupational cultures.
P.L. 94-201, The American Folklife Preservation Act of 1976 (20 USC 2101) which created the American Folklife Center, states the following: that the diversity inherent in American folklife has contributed greatly to the cultural richness of the Nation and has fostered a sense of individuality and identity among the American people; . . . [and] that it is in the interest of the general welfare of the Nation to preserve, support, revitalize, and disseminate American folklife traditions and arts. . . .