Section 132-C - Cultural and museum preservation grants(a) Use of funds.--From money appropriated for COVID Relief - Cultural and Museum Preservation Grant Program, $20,000,000 shall be transferred to the authority and shall be used to make grants under this subarticle.(b) Definitions.--The following words and phrases when used in this section shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Authority." The Commonwealth Financing Authority.
"Eligible cultural organization." A facility or organization meeting the criteria for grants under subsection (f) and that was subject to closure by the proclamation of disaster emergency issued by the Governor on March 6, 2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March 21, 2020), and any renewal of the state of disaster emergency and that experienced a loss of revenue related to the closure.
"Museum." An institution that cares for and presents owned or borrowed collections of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical or scientific importance that presents the collection to the public for the purpose of education and enjoyment and that was subject to closure by the proclamation of disaster emergency issued by the Governor on March 6, 2020, published at 50 Pa.B. 1644 (March 21, 2020), and any renewal of the state of disaster emergency and that experienced a loss of revenue related to the closure. The term shall include each organization within a tax-exempt organization that meets the criteria of this definition.
"Program." The COVID-19 Cultural and Museum Preservation Grant Program established under subsection (c).
(c) Establishment of program.--The authority shall establish the COVID-19 Cultural and Museum Preservation Grant Program.(d) Purpose of program.--The program shall receive applications and award grants to eligible cultural organizations and museums in accordance with this section.(d.1) Application.--The authority shall develop an application for eligible cultural organizations and museums to apply for grants under this section within 30 days of the effective date of this section. The application shall be made available and posted on the authority's publicly accessible Internet website and be in a form that can be completed electronically or through the United States Mail.(d.2) Deadline.--No application for a grant under this section may be submitted after September 30, 2020.(e)Guidelines.--The authority shall establish guidelines that are consistent with the provisions of this section within 30 days of the effective date of this section. The guidelines shall be: (1) Submitted to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin; and(2) Posted on the authority's publicly accessible Internet website.(f) Program requirements.-- (1) An eligible cultural organization or museum must be one of the following categories: (ii) General museum with at least two equally significant disciplines.(iii) History museum or historical site.(iv) Military or maritime museum.(v) Natural history museum.(viii) Science and technology center.(xi) Performing arts organization.(2) An eligible cultural organization or museum must provide evidence that the eligible cultural organization or museum has received funding prior to the effective date of this section from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission or the Department of Community and Economic Development.(g) Grant limits.--The authority may award a grant to an eligible cultural organization or museum not to exceed $500,000.(h) Award of grants.--The authority shall award grants and make grant payments under this section no later than November 30, 2020.(i) Expiration.--This section shall expire once all funds transferred to the authority under subsection (a) have been exhausted or December 1, 2020, whichever occurs first.Added by P.L. TBD 2020 No. 24, § 1, eff. 5/29/2020.