Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 44 - Historical societies and historical preservation.
44.015 - Powers.

44.015 Powers. The historical society may:
(1) Acquire any interest in real or personal property by gift, bequest or otherwise in any amount and, subject to prior action under s. 13.48 (14) (am) or 16.848 (1), may operate, manage, sell, or rent real estate acquired by gift, bequest, foreclosure or other means, upon such terms and conditions as the board of curators deems for its interests but may not sell, mortgage, transfer or dispose of in any manner or remove from its buildings, except for temporary purposes, any article therein without authority of law.
(2) Sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of duplicate books, periodicals or museum objects, or books, periodicals and museum objects outside its field of collection.
(3) Accept collections of private manuscripts, printed materials, tapes, films, optical discs, materials stored in electronic format, and artifacts, and it may enforce any reasonable restrictions on accessibility to the public, use, or duplication of said collections that are agreed upon by the donor and the historical society.
(4) Take proper steps to promote the study of history by lectures, and diffuse and publish information relating to the description and history of the state.
(5) By rule, establish fees to recover costs under s. 44.02 (24).
(5m) Except as otherwise provided by law, establish fees for services or products or for admission to venues.
(7) Contract with the Wisconsin Historical Foundation, Inc., or any other nonstock, nonprofit corporation under ch. 181 for the purposes of administering the historical society's membership program, soliciting and accepting contributions, gifts, grants, and bequests for the historical society, marketing the historical society's goods and services, providing support for the operation, management, and development of the historical society's programs, and performing other functions approved by the board of curators.
(8) Contract with the Wisconsin Historical Foundation, Inc., for the purpose of providing support to the Wisconsin commission for the U.S. semiquincentennial commission under s. 45.13 (4) in performance of the commission's functions of accepting donations, making procurements, expending funds, and entering into contracts, leases, or other agreements.
(10) Promulgate rules necessary to implement this chapter.
History: 1977 c. 29; 1987 a. 395, 399; 1991 a. 39; 1995 a. 27; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 109; 2003 a. 91; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 196; 2021 a. 95.

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