1. (a) The department may provide an appropriate plaque or marker at a cost, to be determined by the department, to the recipient for attachment to an historic structure or landmark identifying it as a Connecticut historical landmark within the criteria adopted by the department and as identified through the state register of historic places, if the owner agrees to display such plaque or marker in a manner satisfactory to the department. Any such plaque or marker may be repossessed by the department if the historic structure or landmark is not maintained in a manner satisfactory to the department.
2. (b) The Department of Economic and Community Development, in consultation with the Amistad Committee, Inc., New Haven, shall establish a Freedom Trail and a program to recognize, document and mark sites in this state that are associated with the history and movement towards freedom of its African-American citizens, the Underground Railroad and the abolition of slavery. The department and the Amistad Committee, Incorporated, of New Haven shall designate and mark the sites of the Freedom Trail. The Amistad Committee, Inc., of New Haven shall be responsible for the coordination and organization of the “September Freedom Trail Month”. The department shall establish a program to publicize the existence of the Freedom Trail and shall publish a brochure which indicates the location and history of the sites.

(1967, P.A. 521, S. 5; P.A. 75-371, S. 4, 10; P.A. 84-256, S. 4, 17; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; 95-334, S. 1, 13; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 228; P.A. 04-25, S. 1; 04-205, S. 5, 9; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 30; P.A. 11-48, S. 116.)

History: P.A. 75-371 substituted “state register of historic places” for “its inventory” and made specific reference to official designation as “Connecticut historical landmark”; P.A. 84-256 amended section to permit charge for providing plaques or markers; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Economic Development with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; (Revisor's note: In 1997 existing provisions were designated by the Revisors as Subsec. (a) and Sec. 1 of P.A. 95-334, effective July 1, 1995, requiring commission to establish Freedom Trail, was added editorially and designated Subsec. (b)); Sec. 10-321c transferred to Sec. 10-320e in 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 amended Subsec. (b) to substitute Connecticut Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film for Connecticut Historical Commission, to change “underground railroad and related sites” to “related to minority history” and to change “Department of Economic and Community Development” to “Commission”, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-25 amended Subsec. (b) to replace “conjunction” with “consultation”, change description of the Freedom Trail from sites relating to minority history to sites associated with the history and movement towards freedom of African-American citizens, the Underground Railroad and the abolition of slavery and to add provisions re the designation and marking of Freedom Trail Sites and re the coordination and organization of “September Freedom Trail Month”, effective April 28, 2004; P.A. 04-205 amended Subsec. (b) to replace provision re marking sites related to minority history with provision re program to recognize, document and mark sites re history of African-American citizens, the Underground Railroad and the abolition of slavery, and to add provision re the designation and marking of Freedom Trail sites, effective June 3, 2004, and, effective on that date, with May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, effective May 12, 2004, also replaced Connecticut Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film with Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism; Sec. 10-320e transferred to Sec. 10-412 in 2005; P.A. 11-48 replaced “commission” with “department” and replaced “Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, established under section 10-392” with “Department of Economic and Community Development”, effective July 1, 2011.