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| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 8 | | relating to the Texas Commission on the Arts; the composition and |
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| 7 | 9 | | qualifications of its governing board, expenditures for certain |
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| 8 | 10 | | fine arts projects, and the distribution of grants. |
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| 9 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 444.003(a), Government Code, is amended |
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| 11 | 13 | | to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 14 | | (a) The commission is composed of nine members appointed by |
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| 13 | 15 | | the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. |
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| 14 | 16 | | (1) The members must represent a diverse cross-section |
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| 15 | 17 | | of the fields of the arts and be widely known for their professional |
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| 16 | 18 | | competence and experience in connection with the arts. |
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| 17 | 19 | | (2) At least two members must be residents of a county |
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| 18 | 20 | | with a population of less than 50,000. |
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| 19 | 21 | | (3) Appointments to the commission shall be made |
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| 20 | 22 | | without regard to the race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, |
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| 21 | 23 | | or national origin of the appointees. |
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| 22 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Section 444.023(b), Government Code, is amended |
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| 23 | 25 | | to read as follows: |
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| 24 | 26 | | (b) The commission may appoint consultants to the |
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| 25 | 27 | | commission. In appointing consultants, the commission shall |
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| 26 | 28 | | attempt to achieve representation from each geographic area of the |
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| 27 | 29 | | state [and from the various racial and ethnic groups present in the |
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| 28 | 30 | | state]. |
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| 29 | 31 | | SECTION 3. Section 444.024(c), Government Code, is amended |
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| 30 | 32 | | to read as follows: |
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| 31 | 33 | | (c) The commission by rule shall adopt equitable procedures |
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| 32 | 34 | | for the distribution of grants to recipients who reflect the |
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| 33 | 35 | | geographical[, cultural, and ethnic] diversity of the state's |
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| 34 | 36 | | population. |
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| 35 | 37 | | SECTION 4. Section 444.029(c), Government Code, is amended |
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| 36 | 38 | | to read as follows: |
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| 37 | 39 | | (c) The commission shall place emphasis on works by living |
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| 38 | 40 | | Texas artists whenever feasible and, when consulting with the |
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| 39 | 41 | | governing body of a political subdivision, shall place emphasis on |
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| 40 | 42 | | works by artists who reside in or near the political subdivision. |
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| 41 | 43 | | Consideration shall be given to artists without regard to the race, |
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| 42 | 44 | | color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin of the |
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| 43 | 45 | | artists [of all ethnic origins]. |
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| 44 | 46 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 45 | 47 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 46 | 48 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 47 | 49 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 48 | 50 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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