Back Again: A Bill Weakening the NHPA Has Been Proposed in the House
A bill that would weaken the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) is back on Capitol Hill.
Last week, California congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA-49) introduced H.R. 135, the latest incarnation of an earlier legislative proposal that would empower a single federal agency head to unilaterally prevent a property from placement on the National Historic Register or from designation as a National Historic Landmark.
The bill seeks to amend the NHPA so that the head of the agency managing federal property can deny–based on unspecified national security grounds–historically significant properties from receiving federal protection.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
[UPDATE 1/12/15 5pm]: The text and title of the bill have been released. Known as the Military Land and National Defense Act, its text may be found here.
[UPDATE 1/12/15 5pm]: The text and title of the bill have been released. Known as the Military Land and National Defense Act, its text may be found here.
Photo credit: Ben Shafer
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