Powers and duties of board and department

1. The state historical society board of trustees shall: a. Recommend to the state historical society a comprehensive, coordinated, and efficient policy to preserve, research, interpret, and promote to the public an awareness and understanding of local, state, and regional history. b. Make recommendations to the director on historically related matters. c. Review and recommend to the director or the director’s designee policy decisions regarding the department as it relates to the historical resources of the state. d. Recommend to the state historic preservation officer for approval the state preservation plan. e. Perform other functions prescribed by law to further historically related matters in the state. f. Serve as the central advisory body for historical records planning in the state and as a coordinating body to facilitate cooperation among historical records repositories and other information agencies within the state. g. Serve as a state level review body for grant proposals submitted to the national historical publications and records commission. 2. The department shall: a. Have authority to acquire by fee simple title historic properties by gift, purchase, devise, or bequest; preserve, restore, transfer, and administer historic properties; and charge reasonable admission to historic properties. b. Maintain research centers in Des Moines and Iowa City. 3. The department may: a. By rule, establish advisory groups necessary for the receipt of federal funds or grants or the administration of any of the department’s programs relating to the historical resources of the state. b. Develop and implement fee-based educational programming opportunities, including preschool programs, related to arts, history, and other cultural matters for Iowans of all ages. 4. The state historical society board of trustees may: a. Serve in an advisory capacity to the state records commission, the state archives and records program, and other statewide archival or records agencies. b. Seek moneys from the national historical publications and records commission or other grant-funding bodies for sponsoring and publishing surveys of the conditions and needs of historical records in the state; for developing, revising, and distributing funding priorities for historical records projects in Iowa; for implementing projects to be carried out in the state for the preservation of historical records and publications; or for reviewing, through reports and otherwise, the operation and progress of records projects in the state.