(a) The Public Records Administrator shall establish and administer a historic documents preservation grant program to help municipalities to enhance or improve the preservation and management of historic documents. Each application shall include a description of the purpose, objective and budget of the activities to be funded by the grant. The chief executive officer of a municipality applying for a grant under this section may designate the town clerk of that municipality as the agent to make such application.

(b) The Public Records Administrator shall establish, by regulations adopted in accordance with chapter 54, relative priorities for the approval of grants under this section. Such priorities may take into account the differing needs of municipalities, the need for consistency and equity in the distribution of grant awards and the extent to which particular projects may advance the purposes of this section. The Public Records Administrator may establish further criteria for the approval of grants under this section. Not later than February 1, 2001, the Public Records Administrator shall develop and disseminate a pamphlet that describes the evaluation process for grant applications under this section. In awarding grants under this section, the Public Records Administrator shall consult with the State Archivist and any other person the Public Records Administrator deems necessary.

(c) The Public Records Administrator shall authorize grant awards under this section on or before July thirty-first and December thirty-first of each fiscal year in which payment of a grant is to be made.

(d) The Public Records Administrator shall allocate seventy per cent of the moneys in the historic documents preservation account in any fiscal year to fund applications submitted under this section.

(P.A. 00-146, S. 5, 8.)

History: P.A. 00-146 effective July 1, 2000.