A bill authorizing grants to support long-term climate resiliency for archival institutions, libraries, and museums in order to provide continuity and access to covered records.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · December 12, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The Public Archives Resiliency Act authorizes $250 million in grants for fiscal year 2025 to help archives, libraries, museums, and other record-keeping institutions protect vital documents from climate change and extreme weather. Eligible recipients include government agencies, public institutions, colleges, and nonprofit organizations that maintain important records such as birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, and other documents of historical or cultural significance. Grant funds can be used for facility upgrades to withstand flooding and storms, staffing for digitization and backup storage, relocating records to safer locations, emergency preparedness planning, and climate adaptation measures. At least half of the funding must go toward protecting vital records, and at least 3 percent must be reserved for projects benefiting Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. The bill also requires a study within one year to identify which institutions and records are most vulnerable to climate risks and to explore options for relocating endangered records to safer facilities.
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