Detailed Summary

Preserve America and Save America's Treasures Act - <b>Title I: Preserve America's Program </b>- (Sec. 103) Establishes the Preserve America Program, under which the Secretary of the Interior, in partnership with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, may provide competitive grants to specified entities to support preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education, and historic preservation planning activities.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) consult the Council in the preparation of the list of projects that are to be provided grants under the Program; and (2) submit to specified congressional committees a list of any eligible projects that are to be provided grants.

Requires the non-federal share for the cost of carrying out a project to be at least 50% of the project's total cost. Requires the non-federal share to be in the form of cash or donated supplies and related services. Instructs the Secretary to ensure that each applicant for a grant has the capacity to secure, and a feasible plan for securing, the non-federal share before a grant is provided.

(Sec. 104) Sets forth provisions regarding the designation of communities, tribal areas, and neighborhoods as Preserve America Communities.

Requires the Council to establish an expedited process for Preserve America Community designation for local governments previously certified for historic preservation activities under the National Historic Preservation Act.

(Sec. 105) Requires the Secretary to develop any guidelines and issue any regulations that are necessary to carry out this title.

(Sec. 106) Authorizes appropriations.

<b>Title II: Save America's Treasures Program </b>- (Sec. 203) Establishes the Save America's Treasures Program, under which the amounts available under section 205 shall be used by the Secretary, in consultation with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, and the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, to provide grants to eligible entities for projects to preserve nationally significant collections (collections of intellectual and cultural artifacts, including documents, sculpture, and works of art) and historic properties. Provides for, of the amounts available for such grants, not less than 50% to be available for projects to preserve collections and historic properties, which shall be distributed through a competitive grant process.

Requires a collection or historic property to be provided a competitive grant only if such collection or property is: (1) nationally significant; and (2) threatened or endangered. Provides that, a determination regarding the national significance of collections shall be made in consultation with the entities specified above, as appropriate.

Requires historic properties, to be eligible for a grant, to be: (1) listed in the National Register of Historic Places at the national level of significance; or (2) designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Sets forth grant selection criteria.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) consult with the organizations specified above in the preparation of the list of projects to be provided grants under the Program, and that if such an organization has submitted an application for a grant under the Program, such entity shall be recused from consultation; and (2) submit to specified congressional committees a list of any eligible projects that are to be provided grants.

Requires the non-federal share for the cost of carrying out a project to be at least 50% of the project's total cost. Requires the non-federal share to be in the form of cash or donated supplies and related services. Instructs the Secretary to ensure that each applicant for a grant has the capacity and a feasible plan for securing the non-federal share before a grant is provided.

(Sec. 204) Requires the Secretary to develop any guidelines and issue any regulations that are necessary to carry out this title.

(Sec. 205) Authorizes appropriations.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 6/16/2008: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 797.

Points in Favor

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should pass!)

Points Against

(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should not pass!)