Pasadena Heritage Urges Senators to Protect Historic Reviews Ahead of Nov. 9 Permitting Vote

Pasadena Heritage is urging residents to contact their federal senators about a federal permitting proposal the nonprofit says would weaken protections for historic places and limit public participation in efforts to protect them.

In an Oct. 29 email bulletin, the Pasadena nonprofit singled out S. 5653, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, and asked supporters to raise concerns before anticipated Senate action Nov. 9.

Its objections center on proposed changes to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the effects of projects they undertake, fund, assist, permit or approve on historic properties, according to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The review process provides opportunities for the public and interested parties to participate before federal decisions are made.

The Senate proposal would narrow that framework. Its text excludes certain projects when the only federal involvement is financial assistance not primarily intended for historic preservation. It also redefines adverse effects on historic properties and sets deadlines for consultation and agency decisions.

Pasadena Heritage contends the changes would reduce community and Tribal participation, limit the historic resources considered and weaken opportunities to avoid damage. A coalition that includes the National Preservation Partners Network and the National Trust for Historic Preservation raised similar objections in an Oct. 21 letter to senators. Those are the groups’ assessments of proposed legislation, not changes already in force.

The measure’s bipartisan sponsors — Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, Mike Lee, Sheldon Whitehouse and Martin Heinrich — say the broader permitting legislation is intended to accelerate energy and infrastructure projects and make federal reviews more predictable. Another provision would authorize $200 million annually for the Historic Preservation Fund for fiscal years 2027 through 2036.

S. 5653 was introduced Sept. 30 and referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It has not passed the Senate. Although Pasadena Heritage referred to an anticipated Nov. 9 vote, the Senate’s published schedule calls for a procedural vote at approximately 5:30 p.m. Eastern on a motion to proceed to H.R. 2347, which Senate officials identify as the legislative vehicle for permitting reform. It is not a final vote on S. 5653.

Pasadena Heritage, founded in 1977 to protect the city’s historic places, directed its appeal to California Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff.

Readers can contact California’s two U.S. senators, Democrats Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, by phone, mail or through their official websites. Padilla’s Los Angeles office can be reached at (310) 231-4494 or by mail at 255 E. Temple St., Suite 1860, Los Angeles, CA 90012; his Washington office number is (202) 224-3553, and his website is padilla.senate.gov.

Schiff’s Burbank office can be reached at (818) 303-3841 or by mail at 4111 W. Alameda Ave., Suite 608, Burbank, CA 91505; his Washington office number is (202) 224-3841, and his website is schiff.senate.gov.

NEED TO KNOW: Event: Senate vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 2347, the legislative vehicle for permitting reform. When: Monday, Nov. 9, at approximately 5:30 p.m. Eastern. Where: U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. For information about Pasadena Heritage’s appeal, call (626) 441-6333 or visit https://www.pasadenaheritage.org/.