Member Advisory – Sept. 27, 2013

The PRISM Act of 2013 introduced to amend the National Historic Preservation Act extending eligibility to Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Congressman Raul M. Grijalva, representative for Arizona's 3rd Congressional District, has introduced HR 3178, a bill entitled the Preservation Research at Institutions Serving Minorities Act (PRISM) of 2013 that would amend the National Historic Preservation Act to allow Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to access technical or financial assistance to establish preservation training and degree programs.

A key point of the legislation is that the bill would not cost any additional money and would simply ensure that HSIs are given special consideration for several programs run by the Department of Interior under current law. The nation's HSIs, numbering over 350, should have access to a grants program for historic preservation education and training programs, allowing students attending HSIs to engage in historical and cultural projects with the purpose of preserving their cultural and national heritage.

Rep. Grijalva stated, “Hispanic heritage is a big part of today’s American cultural fabric, and our education policies should reflect that. This is a non-controversial bill effort to bring the law up to date, nothing more, and I look forward to gathering a broad range of support from my colleagues.”

For more information on the legislation, contact Laura Maristany at laura.maristany@hacu.net.