AB 34, as introduced, Roger Hernández. State historical landmark: Nuestra Señora Reina de La Paz Land: Cesar Chavez
Existing law establishes the State Historical Resources Commission and the California Register of Historical Resources. Existing law requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to consider all recommendations for registration made by the commission, and requires the department to register, as state historical landmarks, those buildings, structures, sites, or places that the department deems to be important historical resources.
This bill would require the land known as Nuestra Señora Reina de La Paz, which includes the home and burial site of the late Cesar Chavez, to be registered in the California Register of Historical Resources as a state historical landmark.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) The state park system was created for the purposes of
4preserving outstanding natural and scenic sites of cultural valve
5and areas of historical significance.
6(b) Nuestra Señora Reina de La Paz, or La Paz, the farm where
7the late Cesar Chavez lived, was recently named by President
8Obama as a national monument. This designation brings to the
9forefront the deep national significance of the land.
10(c) La Paz, located in Kern County, is a historic and culturally
11significant land that contains both the house in which the late Cesar
12Chavez once lived and
his burial site.
13(d) Kern County is home to the origins of the farmworker
14movement and contains several sites associated with the movement,
15including La Paz and the land known as the Forty Acres.
16(e) Currently, the Office of Historic Preservation does not have
17these two sites, or any other site located in Kern County associated
18with the farmworker movement, listed as a state historical
19landmark.
20(f) Further, there is a general deficit of sites and resources listed
21in the California’s Register of Historical Resources that are
22associated with California modern day history and civil rights.
Section 5029.6 is added to the Public Resources Code,
24to read:
Notwithstanding Section 5021, the land known as
26Nuestra Señora Reina de La Paz, which includes the home and
27burial site of the late Cesar Chavez, shall be registered in the
28California Register as a state historical landmark.
The Legislature finds and declares that a special law
30is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable
31within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California
32Constitution because of the necessity to ensure in perpetuity the
33unique historical, cultural, and recreational significance of Nuestra
34Señora Reina de La Paz in Kern County.
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