SB13

ENGROSSED

By Senator Allen

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

To create the Alabama Heritage Preservation Act of 2016; to prohibit the relocation, removal, alteration, renaming, or other disturbance of monuments located on public property; to prohibit any person from preventing the governmental entity responsible for maintaining the monuments from taking proper measures to protect, preserve, care for, repair, or restore the monuments; to create the Permanent Joint Committee on Alabama Monument Protection; to provide for the membership of the committee; to provide for the duties of the committee; to authorize the committee to grant waivers; to provide for the levy of fines for violations of the waiver process; and to exempt certain art and artifacts, the Department of Transportation, and local highway departments under certain limited circumstances.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:

Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Alabama Heritage Preservation Act of 2016.

Section 2. For the purposes of this act, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) COMMITTEE. The Permanent Joint Committee on Alabama Monument Protection created by this act.

(2) MONUMENT. A statue or marker intended at the time of dedication to be permanent memorial to an event, a person, a group, a movement, or military service that is part of the history of the state.

(3) PUBLIC PROPERTY. All property owned or leased by the State of Alabama; any county, municipal, or metropolitan government in the state; or any other entity created by act of the Legislature to perform any public function.

Section 3. (a) No monument which is located on public property may be relocated, removed, altered, renamed, or otherwise disturbed except as provided in Section 6.

(b) No school, street, bridge, building, park, preserve, or reserve which is located on public property and has been erected for, or named, or dedicated in honor of an event, a person, a group, a movement, or military service may be renamed, except as provided in Section 6.

Section 4. No person may prevent the governmental entity having responsibility for maintaining any of the monuments described in Section 3 from taking proper and appropriate measures, and exercising proper and appropriate means, for the protection, preservation, care, repair, or restoration of those monuments.

Section 5. (a) There is created the Permanent Joint Committee on Alabama Monument Protection.

(b) The membership of the committee shall be appointed and reappointed at the beginning of each legislative quadrennium and shall reflect the racial, gender, geographic, urban/rural, and economic diversity of the state and shall include all of the following:

(1) Three members of the Legislature, appointed by the Governor.

(2) Two members of the Legislature, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor.

(3) One member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from the membership of the House of Representatives.

(4) One member appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate from the membership of the Senate.

(c) At the organizational meeting of the committee, the membership of the committee shall select a chair and a vice chair. The chair of the committee may create advisory subcommittees and appoint members thereto, which may include members of the committee, representatives from governmental agencies, and members of the public with interest and expertise in the objectives of the committee. The committee shall create no more than two active advisory subcommittees at any given time unless the committee votes unanimously for additional subcommittees.

(d) The committee shall thereafter meet at the call of the chair or any majority of the members thereof; provided, that the committee shall meet at least once each four months. The committee shall have a continuing existence and may meet, act, and conduct its business at any place within this state during the sessions of the Legislature or any recess thereof, and in the interim period between sessions.

(e) The committee shall perform all duties prescribed by this act.

(f) Each legislative member of the committee or any subcommittee, if created, shall be entitled to the legislative compensation, per diem, and travel as provided in Amendment 871 to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 49.01 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended.

Section 6. (a)(1) Any entity exercising control of public property on which a monument is located may petition the committee for a waiver from subsection (a) of Section 3 in a deliberative process established by administrative rule and certified by the Alabama Historical Commission. At a minimum, the deliberative process shall include all of the following:

a. A resolution by the controlling entity expressing its intent to seek a waiver for the relocation, removal, alteration, renaming, or other disturbance of a monument. The resolution shall provide the dates, times, and locations of two public hearings and the date, time, and location of the controlling entity's consideration of public input.

b. Public notice of the resolution on the website of the controlling entity for eight consecutive weeks, and advertisement of the resolution in a newspaper of local circulation on four occasions within the eight-week period, to be placed at the expense of the controlling entity.

c. Signage providing the text of the resolution at the site of the monument for eight consecutive weeks, to be placed at the expense of the controlling entity.

d. Two hearings, conducted by the controlling entity, for the collection of input from heritage, historical, genealogical, and preservation organizations, and from the general public.

e. Consideration and discussion of input from organizations and the general public by the controlling entity in a regular or called public meeting.

f. A petition in writing by the controlling entity, stating the reason or reasons upon which the waiver is sought and summarizing the input received from organizations and the general public.

g. Certification by the Alabama Historical Commission to the committee that the controlling entity completed the required deliberative process.

(2) If the committee grants a waiver, it may provide reasonable conditions and instructions to ensure that the monument is preserved to the greatest extent possible.

(b) Any entity exercising control of public property on which a school, street, bridge, building, park, preserve, or reserve is located may petition the committee for a waiver from subsection (b) of Section 3 in a deliberative process to be established through administrative rule and certified by the Alabama Historical Commission. At a minimum, the deliberative process shall include all of the following:

(1) A resolution by the controlling entity expressing its intent to seek a waiver for the renaming of the school, street, bridge, building, park, preserve, or reserve. The resolution shall provide the dates, times, and locations of two public hearings and the date, time, and location of the controlling entity's consideration of public input.

(2) Public notice of the resolution on the website of the controlling entity for eight consecutive weeks, and advertisement of the resolution in a newspaper of local circulation on four occasions within the eight-week period, to be placed at the expense of the controlling entity.

(3) Signage providing the text of the resolution at the site of the school, street, bridge, building, park, preserve, or reserve for eight consecutive weeks, to be placed at the expense of the controlling entity.

(4) Two hearings, conducted by the controlling entity, for the collection of input from heritage, historical, genealogical, and preservation organizations, and from the general public.

(5) Consideration and discussion of input from organizations and the general public by the controlling entity in a regular or called public meeting.

(6) A petition in writing by the controlling entity, stating the reason or reasons upon which the waiver is sought and summarizing the input received from organizations and the general public.

(7) Certification by the Alabama Historical Commission to the committee that the controlling entity completed the required deliberative process.

(c) The Alabama Historical Commission, by administrative rule, shall establish reasonable fees for services performed as required by this act.

(d) If the Attorney General determines that an entity exercising control of public property has removed a monument from that public property without first obtaining a waiver from the committee pursuant to this section, the entity shall be fined one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for each violation. The fine shall be collected by the Attorney General, forwarded by his or her office to the State Treasurer, and deposited into the State General Fund.

Section 7. This act does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Art, artifacts, and other property under the control of museums, archives, libraries, and universities.

(2) Monuments described in Section 3 that are located on public property under the control of, or acquired by, the State Department of Transportation, which may interfere with the construction, maintenance, or operation of the public transportation system. The department shall strive to ensure that any such monuments are preserved to the greatest extent possible.

(3) Monuments described in Section 3 that are located on public property under the control of, or acquired by, a county or municipal body, which may interfere with the construction, maintenance, or operation of the public transportation system. The governing body of the county, municipality, or university shall strive to ensure that any such monuments are preserved to the greatest extent possible.

(4) Monuments described in Section 3 that are located on public property operated or used by a utility, which may interfere with providing utility service. The utility shall strive to ensure that any monuments are preserved to the greatest extent possible.

Section 8. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Monuments

Historical Commission

Popular Names

Alabama Heritage Protection Act