S.B. No. 2325
AN ACT
relating to the eligibility of certain events for funding under the
Major Events Reimbursement Program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 478.0001(3), Government Code, as amended
by Chapters 10 (H.B. 1472), 102 (S.B. 1265), 605 (S.B. 1155), and
915 (H.B. 3607), Acts of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session,
2021, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(3) "Event" means any of the following and includes
any activity related to or associated with the following:
(A) the Academy of Country Music Awards;
(B) the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic
Games;
(C) the Bassmaster Classic;
(D) a Big 12 Football Conference Championship
game;
(E) [(D)] the Breeders' Cup World Championships;
(F) the CMT (Country Music Television) Music
Awards;
(G) [(E)] a game of the College Football Playoff
or its successor;
(H) [(F)] the Confederation of North, Central
America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) Gold Cup;
(I) [(F)] a CONVRG conference;
(J) [(G)] an Elite Rodeo Association World
Championship;
(K) a Federation Equestre Internationale World
Cup Final;
(L) a Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme
(FIM) World Supercross Championship race;
(M) the [(H) a] Formula One United States Grand
Prix [automobile race];
(N) [(I)] the largest event held each year at a
sports entertainment venue in this state with a permanent seating
capacity, including grandstand and premium seating, of at least
125,000 on September 1, 2021;
(O) [(J)] the Major League Baseball All-Star
Game;
(P) [(K)] the Major League Soccer All-Star Game
or the Major League Soccer Cup;
(Q) [(L)] a mixed martial arts championship;
(R) [(M)] the Moto Grand Prix of the United
States;
(S) [(N)] the National Association for Stock Car
Auto Racing (NASCAR):
(i) All-Star Race;
(ii) season-ending Championship Race; or
(iii) Texas Grand Prix race;
(T) [(O)] the National Basketball Association
All-Star Game;
(U) [(P)] a National Collegiate Athletic
Association Final Four tournament game;
(V) [(Q)] the National Collegiate Athletic
Association men's or women's lacrosse championships;
(W) [(R)] a national collegiate championship of
an amateur sport sanctioned by the national governing body of the
sport that is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee;
(X) [(S)] the National Cutting Horse Association
Triple Crown;
(Y) [(T)] the National Hockey League All-Star
Game;
(Z) the National Hot Rod Association Fall
Nationals at the Texas Motorplex;
(AA) [(U)] a national political convention of
the Republican National Committee or the Democratic National
Committee;
(BB) [(V) a championship event in] the
National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Championship Series;
(CC) [(W)] an Olympic activity, including a
Junior or Senior activity, training program, or feeder program
sanctioned by the United States Olympic Committee's Community
Olympic Development Program;
(DD) [(X)] a presidential general election
debate;
(EE) the Professional Bull Riders World Finals;
(FF) [(Y)] the Professional Rodeo Cowboys
Association National Finals Rodeo;
(GG) a series of cricket matches or competitions
within the T20 World Cup;
(HH) [(Z)] a Super Bowl;
(II) [(AA)] the United States Open Championship;
(JJ) [(BB)] a World Cup soccer game or the World
Cup soccer tournament;
(KK) [(CC)] the World Games;
(LL) [(DD)] a World Wrestling Entertainment
WrestleMania event; or
(MM) [(EE)] the X Games.
SECTION 2. Section 478.0001(7), Government Code, as amended
by Chapters 10 (H.B. 1472), 102 (S.B. 1265), and 915 (H.B. 3607),
Acts of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, is reenacted
and amended to read as follows:
(7) "Site selection organization" means:
(A) the Academy of Country Music;
(B) the Amateur Athletic Union;
(C) Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, LLC;
(D) the Big 12 Conference;
(E) CMT (Country Music Television) Productions
Inc.;
(F) [(D)] the College Football Playoff
Administration, LLC, or its successor;
(G) [(E)] the Commission on Presidential
Debates;
(H) the Confederation of North, Central America
and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf);
(I) [(F)] the Democratic National Committee;
(J) [(G)] Dorna Sports;
(K) [(H)] the Elite Rodeo Association;
(L) [(I)] Encore Live;
(M) [(J)] ESPN or an affiliate;
(N) the Federation Equestre Internationale
(FEI);
(O) [(K)] the Federation Internationale de
Football Association (FIFA);
(P) the International Cricket Council;
(Q) [(L)] the International World Games
Association;
(R) [(M)] Major League Baseball;
(S) [(N)] Major League Soccer;
(T) [(O)] the National Association for Stock Car
Auto Racing (NASCAR);
(U) [(P)] the National Basketball Association;
(V) [(Q)] the National Collegiate Athletic
Association;
(W) [(R)] the National Cutting Horse
Association;
(X) [(S)] the National Football League;
(Y) [(T)] the National Hockey League;
(Z) the National Hot Rod Association;
(AA) [(U)] the National Reined Cow Horse
Association (NRCHA);
(BB) Professional Bull Riders, LLC;
(CC) [(V)] the Professional Rodeo Cowboys
Association;
(DD) [(W)] the Republican National Committee;
(EE) SX Global;
(FF) [(X)] the Ultimate Fighting Championship;
(GG) [(Y)] the United States Golf Association;
(HH) [(Z)] the United States Olympic Committee;
(II) [(AA)] World Wrestling Entertainment; or
(JJ) [(BB)] the national governing body of a
sport that is recognized by:
(i) the Federation Internationale de
l'Automobile;
(ii) Formula One Management Limited or its
successor;
(iii) the National Thoroughbred Racing
Association; or
(iv) the United States Olympic Committee.
SECTION 3. Section 478.0051, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), an event described by
Section 478.0001(3)(GG) may receive funding through the program if
a portion of the event is held at one or more sites located in
another state or country.
SECTION 4. Section 478.0052, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 478.0052. SINGLE EVENT CLASSIFICATION FOR ELIGIBILITY
PURPOSES. For purposes of Section 478.0051:
(1) [,] each presidential general election debate in a
series of presidential debates before a general election is
considered a separate, single event; and
(2) each series of games for the World Cup soccer
tournament held in a market area designated for that series is
considered a separate, single event.
SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 478, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 478.00525 to read as follows:
Sec. 478.00525. SINGLE YEAR CLASSIFICATION FOR ELIGIBILITY
PURPOSES FOR CERTAIN SPORTING EVENTS. For purposes of Sections
478.0051(b)(1) and (3), a sporting event listed in Section
478.0001(3) is considered to be held one time in each year if the
event is held only one time in any annual season for that sport.
SECTION 6. Section 478.0053, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 478.0053. EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN LARGE VENUES. Section 478.0051(b)(1) does
not apply to an event described by Section 478.0001(3)(N)
[478.0001(3)(H)]. If an endorsing municipality or endorsing county
requests the office to make a determination under Section 478.0102
for an event described by Section
478.0001(3)(N) [478.0001(3)(H)], the remaining provisions of this
chapter apply to that event as if the event satisfied the
eligibility requirements under Section 478.0051(b)(1).
SECTION 7. Subchapter B, Chapter 480, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 480.00515 to read as follows:
Sec. 480.00515. SINGLE YEAR CLASSIFICATION FOR ELIGIBILITY
PURPOSES FOR CERTAIN SPORTING EVENTS. For purposes of Sections
480.0051(1) and (3), a sporting event is considered to be held one
time in each year if the event is held only one time in any annual
season for that sport.
SECTION 8. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails
over another Act of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023,
relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
codes.
SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2325 passed the Senate on
April 26, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4; and that
the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2023, by the
following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2325 passed the House, with
amendment, on May 23, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 102,
Nays 38, two present not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved:
______________________________
Date
______________________________
Governor