HTC-GO Approaching 100 House Cosponsors!: Continue to Request Cosponsorship and Connect with Legislators Back Home
Cross-posted from our colleagues at the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Thank you to all the advocates who reached out to congressional offices, led local meetings, and hosted tours of HTC projects in August! At this critical time, we continue to gain support for the HTC-GO, with 97 House members and 14 Senators cosponsoring the bill. We are steadily approaching our goal of 100 cosponsors in the House and 20 cosponsors in the Senate!
As the 117th Congress winds down, members of Congress will head home in October ahead of the November elections. Depending on the outcome of the elections, Congress will determine whether it will be an active lame-duck session or if it will limit activity to organizing for the new Congress. Scores of federal tax incentives have expired or will expire in 2022, resulting in growing interest from Republicans and Democrats to extend these tax provisions.
Year-end legislation may be a vehicle for HTC improvements. Building support for the HTC-GO now will pave a path for success when year-end legislative vehicles begin to move, possibly during a lame-duck session of Congress.
With about seven remaining weeks until the election, advocates are encouraged to do the following:
Use the National Trust E-advocacy tool to contact offices to request cosponsorship of the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO, HR 2294/S. 2266)
Look for opportunities to meet with legislators when they are back home in October. Please connect with Senators and Representatives back home to request cosponsorship of HTC-GO. We encourage you to safely attend upcoming political events and gatherings to discuss the HTC-GO bill. As many did in August, you can also proactively schedule a time to meet with legislators for a meeting or a tour of a local HTC project, especially projects that will become easier to undertake with the HTC if the proposed changes are enacted.
Take Action:
Request cosponsorship through the National Trust for Historic Preservation's E-Advocacy tool.
Review the HTC-GO fact sheets to stay informed:
Search local and political events or join a local political party's email list to learn about events your members of Congress might be attending.
Invite your members of Congress to tour successful historic preservation projects. Take a look at the National Trust's guide to arranging a site visit.
Email Michael Phillips (mphillips@ntcic.com) to receive the schedulers' email addresses for your members of Congress and for additional assistance in making your request.
Check to see if your members of Congress have already cosponsored:
Talking Points for Discussions with your Members of Congress:
"Now is the time to strengthen this proven incentive to address the slowdown and challenges in rehabilitation projects across the country."
"Would you please cosponsor House Bill H.R. 2294/Senate Bill S. 2266-The Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO) and work to include these provisions in year-end legislation?" If the legislator has already cosponsored the bill, thank them instead of asking them to cosponsor.
Explain how enacting these provisions would benefit your community.
For HTC-GO provision talking points, click here.
Please share the "State of the Historic Rehabilitation Industry" and either the House HTC-GO Fact Sheet or the Senate HTC-GO Fact Sheet as printed handouts or links/attachments as a follow-up.
Resources
Thank you for your advocacy! For assistance in contacting the offices of your members of Congress, please contact us at the email addresses below.
Mike Phillips mphillips@ntcic.com
Shaw Sprague ssprague@savingplaces.org
Patrick Robertson probertson@confluencegr.com