Title 37, HISTORICAL AND MUSEUMS

The commission shall have the power and duty to: (1) Serve as the official agency of the Commonwealth for the conservation of Pennsylvania's cultural heritage. (2) Preserve public records, historical documents and objects of historical interest, possession and control of which ha…

The commission shall have the power and duty to: (1) Pecuniary gifts.--Accept, on behalf of the Commonwealth, gifts and bequests, including securities, for the endowment of its work in accordance with the instructions of the donors and in conjunction with the Governor and State T…

The commission shall have the power and duty to: (1) Museums and historic sites.--Control, direct, supervise, manage and annually inspect the State Museum and those field or regional museums and historic sites authorized or created by statute; conduct continuing studies for the i…

The commission shall have the power and duty to: (1) Historical artifacts.--Acquire or accept on behalf of the Commonwealth through gifts or bequests, objects or other articles of historical, archaeological, maritime, natural or geological interest which shall be deposited in the…

The commission shall have the power and duty to: (1) Research on Commonwealth documents.--Examine and copy or microfilm any public records within the control of a Commonwealth agency for the purposes of historical research. (1.1) Administer the State Archives.--Oversee and admini…

(a) Statement of policy.--It is the policy of the Commonwealth that Commonwealth records belong to the citizens of this Commonwealth. (b) Sale or transfer of Commonwealth archival records prohibited.-- (1) A person may not sell, transfer or otherwise alienate a Commonwealth archi…

(a) General rule.--If a local government agency has reasonable grounds to believe that a local government archival record is in the possession of a person, organization, institution or other entity not authorized by the local government agency to possess the record, the local gov…

(a) Access.--Any provision of law that exempts from public disclosure an item in the custody of the State Archives shall not apply after the item becomes at least 75 years old, irrespective of: (1) The origin of the item. (2) The manner in which it was deposited with the State Ar…

The commission shall have the power and duty to: (1) General.--Publish or republish, either through the Department of General Services or cooperatively by and with private historical organizations, materials of historical or archaeological interest; compile, edit and print these …

Any historical or archaeological society in this Commonwealth shall be deemed to be a qualified historical or archaeological society if it: (1) Has at least 100 paid members, has been organized at least two years and has been incorporated as a corporation not-for-profit. (2) Hold…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Historic Preservation Act.

In addition to the powers and duties provided in Chapter 3 (relating to powers and duties of Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission), the commission shall have the power and duty to: (1) Initiate and coordinate a Statewide survey to identify and document the historic resou…

The owner of private property of historic, architectural or archaeological significance, or a majority of the owners of private properties within a proposed historic district, shall be given the opportunity to concur in, or object to, the nomination of the property or proposed di…

(a) Membership.--The board shall be composed of no less than nine residents designated by the commission, pursuant to recommendations by the executive director with the approval of the Governor. The board shall include at least one member with demonstrated competence in each of t…

The Historic Preservation Board shall have the power and duty to: (1) Advise the commission on criteria of significance for inclusion of historic resources on the Pennsylvania Register of Historic Places. (2) Review and recommend nominations of historic resources to the National …

(a) Right to conduct field investigations.--The Commonwealth reserves the exclusive right to conduct archaeological field investigations on archaeological resources owned or controlled by it, in order to protect and preserve archaeological specimens and information. The specimens…

(a) General rule.--Commonwealth agencies, political subdivisions and municipal authorities shall cooperate fully with the commission in the preservation, protection and investigation of archaeological resources and to that end shall: (1) Notify the commission before undertaking a…

(a) Responsibilities of Commonwealth agencies.--Commonwealth agencies shall: (1) Consult the commission before demolishing, altering or transferring any property under their ownership or control that is or may be of historical, architectural or archaeological significance. (2) Se…

Commonwealth agencies shall give the commission timely notice of proposed transfers of real property owned or controlled by the Commonwealth. Upon recommendation of the commission, Commonwealth agencies may condition the transfer and may execute covenants, deed restrictions or ot…

The commission shall be consulted on the design and proposed location of any project, building or other undertaking financed in whole or in part by Commonwealth funds which may affect the preservation and development of a district, site or building listed on or eligible for the P…

A person who conducts a field investigation on any land or submerged land owned or controlled by the Commonwealth, without first obtaining a permit from the commission, or a person who appropriates, defaces, destroys or otherwise alters any archaeological site or specimen located…

The Attorney General, the commission, any political subdivision, person or other legal entity may maintain an action in an administrative tribunal or court for the protection or preservation of any historic resource in this Commonwealth.

(a) General rule.--Unless otherwise provided by statute with respect to particular historic property, the title to historic property shall be taken in the name of this Commonwealth and shall, before its acquisition, be certified by counsel for the commission. (b) Leases.-- (1) Fo…

In addition to all other powers vested in the commission by this title or other statute, the commission shall exercise all powers conferred on it by law with respect to the historic properties known as: (1) (Deleted by amendment). (2) (Deleted by amendment). (3) Brandywine Battle…

1998 Repeal Note. Section 703 was repealed December 21, 1998, P.L.1270, No.163, effective in 90 days. Section 2 of Act 163 provided that the Brandywine Battlefield Park Commission is abolished, and section 3 of Act 163 provided that all of the powers, duties, functions, funds, as…

1998 Repeal Note. Section 704 was repealed December 21, 1998, P.L.1270, No.163, effective in 90 days. Section 2 of Act 163 provided that the Washington Crossing Park Commission is abolished, and section 3 of Act 163 provided that all of the powers, duties, functions, funds, asset…

(a) Transfers.--All of the powers, duties, functions, funds, assets, books, records and any other documents and real and personal property of the commission dedicated or associated with the operation and management of Washington Crossing are transferred to the Department of Conse…

(a) Official flagship of Pennsylvania.--The restored United States Brig Niagara shall be the official flagship of Pennsylvania. It shall be known as the "Flagship of Pennsylvania" and its home port shall be Erie, Pennsylvania. (b) Powers and duties of the commission.--The commiss…

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby cedes to the United States concurrent jurisdiction over lands, waters and buildings within the boundaries of units of the National Park System administered by the United States Department of the Interior National Park Service, including tho…

The existing National Park Service lands, waters and buildings affected by the provisions of this chapter are as follows: (1) Allegheny Portage National Historic Site. (2) Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. (3) Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site. (4) Eisenhower Nati…

In any case where the Commonwealth has heretofore transferred land to the United States for use as a national park, the transfer shall also include the transfer to the United States of such personal property as may be included in a written agreement between the Pennsylvania Histo…

Cession of jurisdiction shall become effective when it is accepted on behalf of the United States. Acceptance shall be indicated, in writing upon the instrument of cession, by an authorized official of the United States and filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

(a) Relinquishment by United States.--Whenever the United States tenders to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a relinquishment of all or part of the legislative jurisdiction theretofore acquired by it over lands within this Commonwealth, the Governor is authorized to accept, on be…

A municipality or the Pennsylvania State Police may enter into cooperative police service agreements with the National Park Service for the purpose of providing employees of the National Park Service who hold a valid law enforcement commission, issued by that agency, the authorit…