By: Holland, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Buckingham) H.B. No. 2971
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 13, 2019;
May 14, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
Resources & Economic Development; May 17, 2019, reported favorably
by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 17, 2019, sent to
printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to powers and duties concerning records of the General
Land Office.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 31.056(a) and (b), Natural Resources
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) The commissioner may [shall] prepare a revision and
compilation of the various volumes of the abstracts of patented,
titled, and surveyed real property which were previously made by
the land office.
(b) The various counties of the state may [shall] be
apportioned into [one of not more than eight] districts for the
purpose of revising and compiling the abstracts and the abstracts
of each of the districts may [shall] be compiled in a separate
volume.
SECTION 2. Section 31.0655, Natural Resources Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 31.0655. [STATE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS TO] SAVE TEXAS
HISTORY AND ADOPT-A-BEACH PROGRAMS. (a) For purposes of Subchapter
I, Chapter 659, Government Code:
(1) the land office, for the sole purpose of managing
the Save Texas History and Adopt-A-Beach programs, is considered an
eligible charitable organization entitled to participate in the
state employee charitable campaign; and
(2) a state employee is entitled to authorize a
deduction for contributions to the land office for the purposes of
managing the Save Texas History and Adopt-A-Beach programs as a
charitable contribution under Section 659.132, Government Code,
and the land office may use the contributions for the purpose of:
(A) preserving historic maps and documents under
the Save Texas History program; or
(B) administering the Adopt-A-Beach program.
(b) The land office may use cash, gifts, grants, donations,
or in-kind contributions the land office receives through the
administration of the Save Texas History program to:
(1) preserve, conserve, and promote the land office's
records;
(2) provide educational programming and resources on
Texas history; and
(3) acquire additional records to complement the land
office's records.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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