Category: News

UPDATE: The group sign-on letter was submitted to the House Natural Resources Committee on November 5, 2025. We received signatures from more than 300 organizations, businesses, agencies, and other entities from across the country. Thank you to everyone that signed on!

If you missed the deadline, you can still add your organization, business, or entity to the sign-on letter. We will continue to collect signatures and keep the letter updated.

Calling all historic preservation advocates!

Preservation-minded organizations and companies: Add your name to this bipartisan letter urging Congress to reauthorize the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF).

While the letter was submitted to the House Natural Resources Committee on November 05, 2025, we are continuing to collect signatures and will keep the letter open to demonstrate the broad support to reauthorize the HPF. If you missed the deadline, you can still review the letter and add your organization/agency/company/entity to the bipartisan letter by completing the form at the link below. Help us spread the word by sharing with your networks. Individuals looking to support this effort are encouraged to reach out to your local, state, and national contacts and ask them to sign!

For nearly 50 years, the HPF has been the primary federal funding source supporting state and tribal preservation offices who carry out the federal preservation program, competitive grant programs, and community revitalization efforts across the country. The HPF protects the places that tell America’s shared stories.

Unfortunately, the HPF’s authorization expired in 2024, undermining the importance of the HPF and putting vital preservation work at risk. Reauthorizing the HPF ensures continued funding and long-term stability for the communities, tribes, and states whose work depends on it. The bipartisan Historic Preservation Fund Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3418), introduced by Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), would reauthorize the HPF for 10 years and increase the authorized level from $150 million to $250 million annually.

In 2026 we will commemorate America’s 250th anniversary as well as the 60th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act and the 50th anniversaries of both the Historic Preservation Fund and the Historic Tax Credit program. The time has come for the federal government to renew its commitment to preserve, enhance, and promote the history of our great nation by reauthorizing the Historic Preservation Fund.

Join the call — sign the letter today!

The August congressional recess is officially underway. Members of Congress are scheduled to be back in-district/state through the the entire month of August and Labor Day until Sept. 1st. Lawmakers will again be in recess the last week of September. This is great time to reach out to your Representative and Senators and invite them to visit a Historic Tax Credit project or historic site.

Unfortunately, long overdue improvements to the Historic Tax Credit (HTC), called for in the HTC Growth and Opportunity Act (H.R. 2941, S. 1459), were not included as part of the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill”. As advocates are recalibrating and looking at potential next steps, it’s crucial we start building broader and deeper support for these much-needed improvements to the HTC. This will help ensure the provisions included in HTC-GO are well positioned to be enacted as part of a future legislative vehicle.

The August recess is the best opportunity for lawmakers to see the incredible benefits of the Historic Tax Credit and potential benefits of the HTC-GO Act first-hand. Inviting members of Congress to see the impact of the of the HTC and preservation programs in-person is one of the most powerful and effective advocacy tools we have. If your Representative or Senators serve on the House Ways and Means Committee or Senate Finance Committee, these members are especially important to contact. Reach out to your members of Congress today!

Take Action!

• Reach out to your members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (H.R. 2941, S. 1459). If your Representative or Senators have already cosponsored, be sure to thank them! Preservation Action has made it easy for you to take action through our online advocacy tool! 
• Invite your members of Congress to tour a completed, in-progress, or potential HTC project or other historic site in their district/state. This is one of most effective ways to demonstrate the value of the HTC and Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). Be sure to also discuss how the HTC-GO could further benefit communities across their district/state, and how support for the HPF helps make it possible. Be flexible with possible dates to meet, but if your member of Congress is unavailable, offer to meet with their staff. Be persistent. Sometimes it will take multiple touches.
• Review the Arranging a Congressional site-visit guide put together by our partners at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Historic Tax Credit Coalition and the 5 Tips for Successful Site Visits to learn more about arranging a site visit.

If you need any assistance or need contact information for the scheduler in your members of Congress’s office, Rob Naylor at Preservation Action (rnaylor@preservationaction.org). Also be sure share stories and photos from your site visits with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Resources:

• Historic Tax Credit One Pager- Preservation Month
• HTC-GO Fact Sheet
• HTC State Maps and Project Lists
• Preservation Action HTC-GO Action Alert