Bill > SB2976

This bill makes several key changes to the Historic Preservation Act and the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council Act: 1. It creates the State Historic Preservation Board, a 9-member board appointed by the Governor, to oversee historic preservation efforts. The board must include members with expertise in areas like public history, library studies, community organizations, the Americans with Disabilities Act, federal historic designations, and museum work. At least 5 of the board members must represent historically excluded and marginalized communities. 2. It gives the Board the authority to list, delist, and modify the list of State Historic Sites, subject to approval by the Department of Natural Resources Director. The Board must consider factors like budgetary impact, inclusion of marginalized histories, geographic balance, disability access, and federal designations when making these decisions. 3. It renames the Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council as the Illinois National Register Advisory Council, reduces its membership from 15 to 9 members, and aligns its composition and operations with the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act. 4. It makes various other changes, such as requiring the Department to provide administrative support to the Board, requiring an annual report on the State Historic Sites, and repealing the Historical Sites Listing Act. Overall, the bill aims to restructure and strengthen historic preservation governance in Illinois, with a focus on increasing diversity, accessibility, and transparency in the state's historic sites portfolio.

Government Affairs

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=2976&GAID=17&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=112&GA=103