Arts and Humanities Act of 1979

Arts and Humanities Act of 1979 - Amends the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 to require two-thirds of the members of the National Council on the Arts or the National Council on the Humanities to approve any grant or contract involving an expenditure for the purpose of any project organized to carry out the purpose of such Act.

Requires the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts to submit a report justifying an exemption from the requirement that all printing and binding for any establishment of the Federal Government be done at the Government Printing Office, to the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources in order to make contracts or grants-in-aid to groups for the printing of projects and publications necessary to carry out the purpose of such Act.

Allows the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts to make limited grants to State and regional groups for projects and productions which have a substantial artistic and cultural significance when the sums available for such grants in any fiscal year are in excess of the amount required to make the allotments set forth in the Act.

Allows the Chairman of the National Council on the Arts to enter into interagency agreements to promote or assist with the arts-related activities of other Federal agencies.

Declares that the term of office of all members of the National Council on the Arts shall expire on the third day of September in the year of expiration.

Specifies the amount of grants that each grant recipient located in a State with a certain population may receive from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Provides for the allotment of grants when the sums available are insufficient, or in excess of the sums available, to carry out the purpose of the Act for any fiscal year.

Allows the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities to pay, in specified cases, up to 100 percent of the cost of a humanities-related program in a State with a population of 200,000 or less if such programs would otherwise be unavailable.

Allows the Chairman of the National Council on the Humanities to enter into interagency agreements to promote or assist with the humanities-related activities of other Federal Government agencies.

Allows the Chairman of the National Council on the Humanities to approve or disapprove an application for financial support without the recommendation of the Council if the application is for less than $30,000.

Requires the annual reports submitted to Congress and the President as specified in the Act to be submitted each April.

Extends the authorization of appropriations to carry out the purpose of the Act through fiscal year 1985.