87R9069 BEE-D
By: Hull, Burns H.B. No. 2978
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to required agreement provisions and eligibility of
certain games and events for funding administered by the Texas
Economic Development and Tourism Office.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 475, Government Code, as
effective April 1, 2021, is amended by adding Section 475.0005 to
read as follows:
Sec. 475.0005. REQUIRED AGREEMENT PROVISION FOR POSTING
HUMAN TRAFFICKING SIGNS. (a) An agreement under this subtitle
between the office, an endorsing county or municipality, or a local
organizing committee and a site selection organization that
includes a financial commitment by this state or a county or
municipality of this state must contain a written verification that
the site selection organization will prominently post throughout
the location of the game or event signs with information on services
and assistance available to victims of human trafficking.
(b) The office of the governor, in consultation with the
human trafficking prevention coordinating council established
under Section 402.034, shall by rule prescribe the sign format and
manner of posting signs under this section.
SECTION 2. Section 478.0051, Government Code, as effective
April 1, 2021, is amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding
Subsection (c) to read as follows:
(b) A listed event may receive funding through the program
only if:
(1) a site selection organization, after considering
through a highly competitive selection process one or more sites
not in this state, selects a site in this state for the event to be
held:
(A) one time; or
(B) if the event is scheduled under an event
contract or event support contract to be held each year for a period
of years, one time in each year;
(2) a site selection organization selects a site in
this state as:
(A) the sole site for the event; or
(B) the sole site for the event in a region
composed of this state and one or more adjoining states;
(3) the event is held not more than one time in any
year;
(4) the incremental increase in tax receipts
determined under Section 478.0102 is at least $1 million; and
(5) not later than the 30th day before the first day of
the event, a site selection organization submits a plan to prevent
the trafficking of persons in connection with the event to:
(A) the office of the attorney general; [and]
(B) the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency
Management; and
(C) the human trafficking prevention
coordinating council established under Section 402.034.
(c) The plan described by Subsection (b)(5) must provide for
the posting of signs as required under Section 475.0005.
SECTION 3. Section 478.0051(c), Government Code, as added
by this Act, applies only to a plan to prevent human trafficking
submitted on or after the effective date this Act. A plan submitted
before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the
former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.