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1996 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 119
Requesting the Department of Historic Resources, in consultation with other appropriate public and private organizations, to study ways to improve procedures for making state grants to historical organizations.

Agreed to by the Senate, February 9, 1996
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 1996

WHEREAS, the General Assembly has historically given millions of dollars in public funds to private historical societies and other organizations on a noncompetitive basis; and

WHEREAS, these state grants to historical societies and other organizations, used for operating and capital expenses, amount to an unrestricted subsidy for private activities with few or no requirements to ensure the public benefit to be provided by the expenditure of public funds; and

WHEREAS, such grants are increasingly seen as an entitlement by many of the recipient organizations, thus encouraging dependency on public resources; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Department of Historic Resources, in consultation with other appropriate public and private organizations, be requested to study ways to improve procedures for making state grants to historical organizations. The department shall examine alternative funding mechanisms and make recommendations for (i) improving the quality; (ii) ensuring the maximum public benefit to be derived from state grants; (iii) promoting greater self-reliance; and (iv) reducing dependency on state government by private historic attractions.

The Department shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1997 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.