AN ACT

 

1Providing for museum preservation and for grant program;
2imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
3Commission; establishing the Pennsylvania Museum Preservation
4Fund; and making an appropriation.

5The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6hereby enacts as follows:

7Section 1. Short title.

8This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania
9Museum Preservation Act.

10Section 2. Definitions.

11The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13context clearly indicates otherwise:

14"AAM." The American Alliance of Museums.

15"Accredited museum." A museum that has been accredited by
16the American Alliance of Museums.

17"Commission." The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
18Commission.

1"Core documents." A mission statement, code of ethics,
2strategic plan, disaster or emergency plan or collections
3management policy.

4"Eligible museum." A museum meeting the criteria for grants
5under section 3.

6"Fund." The Pennsylvania Museum Preservation Fund
7established under section 4.

8Section 3. Grant program.

9(a) Establishment.--The commission shall establish a program
10to receive applications and award grants to eligible museums
11pursuant to this act.

12(b) Guidelines.--The commission shall establish guidelines
13that are consistent with the provisions of this act within 120
14days of the effective date of this act. The guidelines shall be
15published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and posted on the
16Internet website of the commission.

17(c) Program requirements.--

18(1) An eligible museum is a museum in one of the
19following categories:

20(i) Botanic gardens and arboreta.

21(ii) Children's museum.

22(iii) A general museum with two or more equally
23significant disciplines.

24(iv) History museum.

25(v) Historical society.

26(vi) Historic house or site.

27(vii) Military or maritime museum.

28(viii) Natural history museum.

29(ix) Nature center.

30(x) Planetarium.

1(xi) Science and technology center.

2(xii) Multipurpose organization. An individual 
3museum within a multipurpose government or tax-exempt 
4organization may apply for a grant if the museum 
5functions as a discrete unit with the parent 
6organization. A museum that is part of a larger 
7organization must be deemed eligible if the museum:

8(A) has administrative autonomy for its
9operations;

10(B) has a fully segregated and itemized
11operating budget with the parent organization;

12(C) may separately and distinctly fulfill the
13eligibility and application requirements as defined
14in the guidelines established under subsection (b);
15and

16(D) meets the AAM definition of a museum.

17(2) Eligible museums must also meet the following
18standards:

19(i) Funds may only be distributed by the commission
20to eligible museums that commit to the AAM Pledge of
21Excellence.

22(ii) The requirement under subparagraph (i) must be
23evidenced by the completion of core document verification
24with the AAM within two years of the effective date of
25this act.

26(d) Grant limits.--The commission may award grants to an
27eligible museum that meets the criteria of this section. The
28grants may not exceed the following amounts:

29(1) An eligible museum with an operating budget of more
30than $100,000 may apply for grants equal to 15% of their

1operating budget.

2(2) A museum with AAM accreditation may receive an
3additional grant of up to 1% of its operating budget.

4(3) Grants, including additional grants under paragraph
5(2), may not exceed $500,000 in total for an eligible museum.

6Section 4. Fund.

7(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the State
8Treasury a special fund to be known as the Pennsylvania Museum
9Preservation Fund.

10(b) Appropriation.--Money in the fund is appropriated to the
11commission for the purposes authorized under this act.

12(c) Transfer.--The Commonwealth shall transfer 3.1% of the
13funds collected by the realty transfer tax under Article XI-C of 
14the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform 
15Code of 1971, from the General Fund into the fund.

16Section 20. Effective date.

17This act shall take effect in 60 days.