This week the House passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2024 that includes six appropriations bills, partially funding the government through September. This included appropriations for the Department of Interior, which funds the Historic Preservation Fund and several preservation priorities. The bill passed with bipartisan support, 339-85. The bill now moves to the Senate where they will need to pass the bill by Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown. An FY24 bill funding the rest of the government is expected to be released soon, as funding for the remaining departments lasts through March 22nd.

The FY24 partial spending bill includes $188.66 million for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), nearly $16 million below FY23 enacted levels. The bill maintains level funding for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, but reduces funding for some grant programs and Community Directed Spending for HPF projects. A full breakdown of the HPF is below:

Historic Preservation Fund FY24 Levels

• $62.15 million for State Historic Preservation Offices (same as FY23)
• $23 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (same as FY23)
• $25.5 million for Save America's Treasures ($1M below FY23)
• $24 million for the African American Civil Rights grant program (same as FY23)
• $10 million for Paul Bruhn grants ($2.5M below FY23)
• $11 million for HBCU preservation grants (same as FY23)
• $7 million for the Semiquincentennial grant program ($3M below FY23)
• $5 million for the History of Equal Rights Grant program (same as FY23)
• $1.25 million for Underrepresented Communities Grants (same as FY23)
• $19.76 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for HPF Projects ($9.349M below FY23)

Total: $188.66 million ($15.849 million below FY23)

More details on the funding levels in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, including a breakdown of Congressionally Directed Spending for HPF projects are available here. While we recognize the challenging budget, we are disappointed in the cuts to the HPF. Programs like the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization program are helping to create economic development in rural communities by rehabilitating and preserving irreplaceable historic assets.

We were very pleased to see that the bill did include a provision reauthorizing the HPF through the end of September. A short term authorization was a key priority for preservation advocates and ensures continued deposits into the HPF. While Preservation Action greatly appreciates the temporary reauthorization of the HPF, we continue to urge Congress to pass a longer term solution, like the Historic Preservation Fund Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3350). This bill would reauthorize the HPF for 10 years and increase the annual authorized amount from $150 million to $250 million. Take action by urging your member of Congress to support and cosponsor H.R. 3350 TODAY!

This week the National Park Service announced $5 million in History of Equal Rights preservation grants. These grants will support eight projects in six states that help preserve sites associated with the struggle for all Americans to gain equal rights. The grants are not limited to any specific group and are intended to include the broadest possible interpretation of sites associated with efforts to achieve equal rights. This year's grant recipients include the Arlington Street Church in Boston, MA, which served as an important gathering location for the local LGBTQ+ community, and preservation of the United Colored Community Cemetery in Cincinnati, OH, which was dedicated in 1883 after being forced to move for White development.

Funded through the Historic Preservation Fund, the History of Equal Rights grant program was established in 2020 and has provided more than $15 million for 30 preservation projects across the country. Preservation Action continues to urge lawmakers for increased funding for this important program.

On behalf of Preservation Action and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, thanks to all of our attendees, speakers, and everyone for helping to make National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week a huge success! We welcomed over 165 attendees, from 44 states and territories, and conducted more than 200 congressional office visits.

We'd also like to give a special thank you to our sponsors Respec, GBX Group, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Campo Architecture and Interior Design, the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, Ryan, CAW Architects, Marvin, and Ray Ellis and LaBrie Consulting, for helping to make this year's Advocacy Week possible.

The main day of programming was held at the historic Miracle Threatre, located along Barracks Row in Washington, D.C, providing the perfect backdrop to kick off Advocacy Week. Preservation advocates enjoyed tours exploring the surrounding Capitol Hill neighborhood, heard from national preservation leaders and policy experts on the current legislative landscape and future of historic preservation policy, including our keynote speaker, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams.

The following day advocates took to the Hill to meet with their members of Congress in support of critical historic preservation programs and funding. Advocacy Week concluded with the Champions of Historic Preservation Congressional Reception, where we were joined by some of historic preservation's biggest champions in Congress, including Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH), and Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC). Check out our Advocacy Week materials page to see the full schedule, advocacy guide, and issue one-pagers to learn more.

Hill Report Forms/Follow-up

For Advocacy Week attendees, now is the time for the important follow-up from your congressional office visits. Be sure to thank offices and to follow-up with any promised information or materials. Additionally,  please complete a hill report form online for each of your meetings. Knowing who you met with and how those meetings went is essential for our continued advocacy.

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation: "ACHP Chair Sara Bronin Releases Recommendations on Federal Historic Preservation Standards"

National Park Service: "Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Projects Certified by the National Park Service Generated $7 Billion in GDP, 122,000 Jobs in 2022"

Indiana: "Sacred Places Indiana Awards $2 Million in Grants to Help Historic Churches in Indiana"

Georgia: "Georgia Seeks to Boost Historic Preservation with Expanded Tax Credit Program"

Florida: "Florida Bill Making it Easier to Demolish Historic Buildings Heads to Desantis"