U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono and Ed Markey have introduced the Public Archives Resiliency Act, a bill designed to authorize grants for the preservation, climate resilience, adaptation, and continuity of essential government records. This legislation also aims to protect records of historical or cultural significance by providing funding to public archives, libraries, museums, educational institutions, and non-profits involved in safeguarding these important documents. The bill has a companion piece in the House introduced by Representative Alma Adams.
Senator Hirono emphasized the importance of this act in light of recent natural disasters: “In the wake of last year’s Lahaina wildfires, eight of the Lahaina Restoration Foundation’s historic sites were burned down or critically damaged, leading to the loss of thousands of artifacts and records.” She added that public records are crucial for preserving history and culture and need protection from climate change effects such as wildfires and floods.
The bill addresses concerns about environmental risks faced by institutions managing government records generated through various civic processes like birth, death, marriage, taxes, military service, education, immigration, and property ownership. Destruction or inaccessibility of these records can hinder access to government benefits and result in losing irreplaceable cultural artifacts.
Janel Quirante from ‘Ulu‘ulu: The Henry Ku‘ualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive highlighted the significance of this legislation: “This bill provides crucial support to libraries, archives and museums that care for historic and cultural materials endangered by the impacts of climate change.” Quirante noted that infrastructure support could improve aging HVAC systems vital for preserving archival films in tropical climates.
Kai Kahele from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board stressed that "Historic records and artifacts left by our kupuna (ancestors) serve as foundational blueprints," which are critical as Hawaii faces climate challenges like those seen during Maui's 2023 wildfires.
Kale Hannahs from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs added that "The Public Archives Resiliency Act will provide essential support to Hawai‘i’s repositories dedicated to the preservation and accessibility of historic documents and artifacts." He pointed out OHA's partnership with Lahaina Restoration Foundation as an example highlighting digitization's role in preserving Hawaii's history.
The full text of this legislation is available for review.