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House approves amended State Antiquities bill after debate over oversight and federal standards
Summary
The House passed first substitute House Bill 139 to amend state antiquities and historical-sites law after adopting a substitute amendment that incorporates federal qualification criteria for archaeologists and clarifies coordination between the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office; vote 60-13.
Representative Bradley Johnson, sponsor of first substitute House Bill 139, told the House the measure seeks balance between protecting archaeological resources and avoiding overreach: “I'm not against protecting archaeology resources,” he said, describing the bill as ‘‘sound public policy’’ meant to balance protection and cost.
The bill would clarify where advisory authority for archaeological matters resides and change some review procedures. Representative Becker offered Amendment 5 to add a cleanup word and to make clear the Antiquities Section may provide advice to…
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