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

Take Action: https://preservationaction.org/htc-go-alert/