A United States Senate vote this week advanced legislation that significantly threatens federal historic preservation regulations with major local implications. Now is the time to contact Congress and let your elected officials know that local public input and historic places in Louisiana matter!
On Nov. 9, the Senate voted 73-25 in favor of advancing consideration of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (S. 5653), opening a period of debate about a bill that proposed to dismantle the National Historic Preservation Act and its Section 106 process, which currently requires public input and consideration of historic properties for federally funded or permitted projects. The final vote on this bill could occur as soon as Monday (Nov. 16).
PRC has joined local and national preservation partners to closely track this legislation because Section 106 is how local and state governments, Tribal Nations, preservation experts, and community groups weigh in on projects in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana that are federally funded or permitted before they cause damage to irreplaceable sites. For more information, visit our website.
ACT NOW!
1. CONTINUE CONTACTING LOUISIANA SENATORS!
Please continue calling and e-mailing Senators Kennedy and Cassidy (both of whom voted in favor of advancing the bill towards a vote) to urge them to strike Title III from the bill. It is important to note that just because a Senator voted to begin the debate does not mean they fully support the bill.
Sample phone script you can adapt:
“Hello, my name is [NAME], and I am a constituent from [CITY, Louisiana]. I am calling to ask [REPRESENTATIVE’S NAME] to vote NO on the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026 as written, or to support the bill only if Title III is removed. The proposed changes threaten historic and archaeological resources, weaken meaningful public participation, and limit opportunities for communities and Tribal Nations to weigh in on federally supported projects. Please protect historic preservation review and ensure that local voices remain part of these decisions. Thank you.”
2. REACH OUT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES!
Now is the time to contact House representatives as well, since after the final Senate vote, the bill will move the House for consideration. The bill in the house is HR 2347.
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