Historical preservation: California Cultural and Historical Endowment: grant programs.

(1) The California Cultural and Historical Endowment Act establishes the California Cultural and Historical Endowment in the Natural Resources Agency. Among other things, the act authorizes the endowment to make grants and loans on a competitive basis to public agencies and nonprofit organizations, as defined, to encourage development of California's historical and cultural resources. Existing law, to the extent funding is available, requires the endowment to establish a program to assist and enhance the services of California's museums and of other groups and institutions that undertake cultural projects that are deeply rooted in and reflective of previously underserved communities. Existing law requires the program to give priority to certain museum and cultural programs and projects, as provided. This bill would revise and recast those provisions to, among other things, instead require the endowment to establish a competitive grant program to assist and enhance the services of museums in the state that undertake programs and projects that are deeply rooted in and reflective of underserved communities. The bill would instead require the grant program to give priority to those programs and projects (A) serving pupils and teachers at schools eligible to be served under Title I, Part A of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, (B) serving children in low-income communities, (C) supporting a museum in engaging or collaborating with underserved communities, as specified, (D) advancing preservation of at-risk cultural and natural collections and historic buildings, as provided, (E) improving access to historic buildings, cultural sites, or museums, as specified, (F) supporting the ethical stewardship of culturally sensitive art and artifacts, as provided, or (G) educating the public about critical issues affecting Californians. (2) Existing law authorizes the California Cultural and Historical Endowment to create a specified competitive grant program to support, among other things, small capital projects in museums. Existing law requires funding for the grant program to only be made, upon appropriation by the Legislature, from certain collected funds. This bill would expand that authority to support capital projects in museums, without regard to size, and publications in museums. The bill would delete the funding limitation for the grant program.