| 1 | 1 | | 87S30332 MP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Davis H.B. No. 127 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a grant program in the Parks and Wildlife Department for |
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| 8 | 8 | | outreach to certain underserved populations; making an |
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| 9 | 9 | | appropriation. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Parks and Wildlife |
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| 12 | 12 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 13.024 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 13.024. GRANT PROGRAM FOR OUTREACH TO UNDERSERVED |
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| 14 | 14 | | POPULATIONS. (a) In this section: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) "Nonprofit partner" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 16 | 16 | | Section 11.201. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) "Underserved population" means any group of people |
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| 18 | 18 | | who are: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) low income, inner city, or rural as |
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| 20 | 20 | | determined by the last census; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (B) minority; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (C) youth, including youth at risk and youth with |
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| 23 | 23 | | a physical, developmental, or intellectual disability or mental |
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| 24 | 24 | | illness; or |
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| 25 | 25 | | (D) female. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) The department shall develop and administer a grant |
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| 27 | 27 | | program for outreach to underserved populations to provide money to |
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| 28 | 28 | | municipalities, counties, and nonprofit partners for use to |
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| 29 | 29 | | increase: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) access to and use of the department's parks, |
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| 31 | 31 | | recreational areas, cultural resource sites and areas, and open |
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| 32 | 32 | | space areas by underserved populations; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) participation of underserved populations in the |
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| 34 | 34 | | outdoor, historical, cultural, and recreation safety activities of |
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| 35 | 35 | | the department. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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| 37 | 37 | | donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this |
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| 38 | 38 | | section. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (d) The department shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 40 | 40 | | administer the grant program established under this section, |
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| 41 | 41 | | including rules regarding: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) the form and content of an application for a grant; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (2) grant eligibility requirements; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (3) permitted uses of grants. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 2. (a) The amount of $180,000,000 is appropriated |
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| 46 | 46 | | from the general revenue fund to the Parks and Wildlife Department |
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| 47 | 47 | | for the state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2021, for the |
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| 48 | 48 | | purpose of funding the grant program for outreach to underserved |
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| 49 | 49 | | populations established under Section 13.024, Parks and Wildlife |
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| 50 | 50 | | Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (b) The unexpended balance of the money appropriated by |
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| 52 | 52 | | Subsection (a) of this section is appropriated for the same purpose |
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| 53 | 53 | | for the state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2022. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 55 | 55 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 56 | 56 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 57 | 57 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 58 | 58 | | Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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| 59 | 59 | | legislative session. |
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