PRINTER'S NO. 711
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
170
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY ELLIS, JAMES, KILLION, HEFFLEY, MURT, A. HARRIS,
DUSH, KORTZ, KOTIK, NEUMAN, READSHAW, GIBBONS, SIMS, COHEN,
SONNEY, PICKETT, DEAN, CHRISTIANA, O'BRIEN, BRIGGS, DERMODY,
MARSHALL, QUIGLEY, WATSON, TOOHIL, ORTITAY AND EVERETT,
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 26, 2015
AN ACT
Providing for museum preservation and for grant program;
imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
Commission; establishing the Pennsylvania Museum Preservation
Fund; and making an appropriation.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania
Museum Preservation Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"AAM." The American Alliance of Museums.
"Accredited museum." A museum that has been accredited by
the American Alliance of Museums.
"Commission." The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum
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Commission.
"Core documents." A mission statement, code of ethics,
strategic plan, disaster or emergency plan or collections
management policy.
"Eligible museum." A museum meeting the criteria for grants
under section 3.
"Fund." The Pennsylvania Museum Preservation Fund
established under section 4.
Section 3. Grant program.
(a) Establishment.--The commission shall establish a program
to receive applications and award grants to eligible museums
under this act.
(b) Guidelines.--The commission shall establish guidelines
that are consistent with the provisions of this act within 120
days of the effective date of this section. The guidelines shall
be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and posted on the
publicly accessible Internet website of the commission.
(c) Program requirements.--
(1) In order to receive a grant under this act, a museum
must be in one of the following categories:
(i) Botanic gardens and arboreta.
(ii) Children's museum.
(iii) A general museum with two or more equally
significant disciplines.
(iv) History museum.
(v) Historical society.
(vi) Historic house or site.
(vii) Military or maritime museum.
(viii) Natural history museum.
(ix) Nature center.
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(x) Planetarium.
(xi) Science and technology center.
(xii) Multipurpose organization. An individual
museum within a multipurpose government or tax-exempt
organization may apply for a grant if the museum
functions as a discrete unit with the parent
organization. A museum that is part of a larger
organization must be deemed eligible if the museum:
(A) has administrative autonomy for its
operations;
(B) has a fully segregated and itemized
operating budget with the parent organization;
(C) may separately and distinctly fulfill the
eligibility and application requirements as defined
in the guidelines established under subsection (b);
and
(D) meets the AAM definition of a museum.
(2) (i) In addition to satisfying paragraph (1), A
museum must commit to the AAM Pledge of Excellence prior
to receipt of the grant.
(ii) The requirement under subparagraph (i) must be
evidenced by the completion of core document verification
with the AAM within two years of the effective date of
this section.
(d) Grant limits.--The commission may award grants to an
eligible museum that satisfies the requirements of this section.
The grants may not exceed the following amounts:
(1) An eligible museum with an operating budget of more
than $100,000 may apply for grants equal to 15% of its
operating budget.
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(2) A museum with AAM accreditation may receive an
additional grant of up to 1% of its operating budget.
(3) Grants, including additional grants under paragraph
(2), may not exceed $500,000 in total for an eligible museum.
Section 4. Pennsylvania Museum Preservation Fund.
(a) Establishment.--The Pennsylvania Museum Preservation
Fund is established in the State Treasury as a special fund.
(b) Appropriation.--Money in the fund is hereby appropriated
to the commission on a continuing basis for the purposes
authorized under this act.
(c) Transfer.--The Commonwealth shall transfer 3.1% of the
funds collected by the realty transfer tax under Article XI-C of
the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform
Code of 1971, from the General Fund into the Pennsylvania Museum
Preservation Fund.
Section 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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