The following letter was sent to the Honorable Jeb Hensarling via the Coalition for American Heritage.
The Honorable Jeb Hensarling
Chairman
Financial Services Committee
2129 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Re: Application of Bank Secrecy Act to Dealers in Art or Antiquities
Dear Chairman Hensarling:
As members of the Coalition for American Heritage, we very much appreciate the value you place in historic preservation and the laws that govern the preservation of our nation’s heritage. We write to express our strong support for H.R. 5886, which would extend the Bank Secrecy Act to dealers of art and antiquities. In essence, it would require dealers to report large art and antiquities transactions the same way that jewelers and gem dealers already report large financial transactions in an effort to identify money laundering and other criminal activity.
Our organizations, as well as other local, state, and national preservation organizations, all believe this resolution is necessary and essential in protecting and preserving America’s most significant historic and cultural heritage resources for current and future generations. H.R. 5886 will go a long way in helping to restore and conserve our nationally significant collections and artifacts, and only add to the American narrative and identity.
We greatly appreciate the strong support Congress has shown for the preservation of our nation’s heritage. We look forward to working with you and thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
American Anthropological Association
Society for American Archaeology
Society for Historical Archaeology
American Cultural Resources Association
