| 2 | 4 | | |
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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 operation and management of the Panhandle-Plains |
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| 7 | 9 | | Historical Museum by the Texas Historical Commission. |
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| 8 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 442, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 12 | | adding Subchapter B-3 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER B-3. PANHANDLE-PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM |
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| 12 | 14 | | Sec. 442.067. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "museum" |
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| 13 | 15 | | means the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas. |
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| 14 | 16 | | Sec. 442.068. PANHANDLE-PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM; FUND. |
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| 15 | 17 | | (a) The museum currently consists of a facility on the campus of |
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| 16 | 18 | | West Texas A&M University and a collection owned by the |
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| 17 | 19 | | Panhandle-Plains Historical Society. |
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| 18 | 20 | | (b) To the extent authorized by law, the commission may |
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| 19 | 21 | | enter into a contract with the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society |
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| 20 | 22 | | for the operation and management of the museum. The commission may |
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| 21 | 23 | | also enter into a contract with West Texas A&M University or The |
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| 22 | 24 | | Texas A&M University System, as needed for the construction, |
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| 23 | 25 | | renovation, expansion, maintenance, or management of museum |
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| 24 | 26 | | facilities on the campus of West Texas A&M University. |
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| 25 | 27 | | (c) The contract with the Panhandle-Plains Historical |
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| 26 | 28 | | Society authorized by this section must include provisions for: |
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| 27 | 29 | | (1) expanding, renovating, managing, maintaining, |
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| 28 | 30 | | operating, or providing financial support for the museum collection |
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| 29 | 31 | | and museum facility and related assets; |
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| 30 | 32 | | (2) preserving the museum's collection; |
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| 31 | 33 | | (3) employing a museum director and other employees |
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| 32 | 34 | | the commission considers necessary to fulfill its duties and |
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| 33 | 35 | | responsibilities under the contract; |
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| 34 | 36 | | (4) accepting donations of money, property, and |
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| 35 | 37 | | historical relics; and |
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| 36 | 38 | | (5) acquiring property and historical relics with |
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| 37 | 39 | | funds available for that purpose. |
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| 38 | 40 | | (d) The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum fund is created |
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| 39 | 41 | | as a fund outside the state treasury. The commission shall |
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| 40 | 42 | | administer the fund but may contract with the Panhandle-Plains |
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| 41 | 43 | | Historical Society for administration of the fund. The fund |
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| 42 | 44 | | consists of: |
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| 43 | 45 | | (1) admissions revenue from the operation of the |
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| 44 | 46 | | museum; |
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| 45 | 47 | | (2) sales revenue from the operation of the museum |
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| 46 | 48 | | gift shop; and |
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| 47 | 49 | | (3) donations made to the commission for the museum. |
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| 48 | 50 | | (e) Money in the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum fund |
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| 49 | 51 | | may be spent without legislative appropriation and only to |
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| 50 | 52 | | administer, operate, preserve, repair, expand, or otherwise |
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| 51 | 53 | | maintain the museum. |
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| 52 | 54 | | (f) Interest and income from the assets of the |
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| 53 | 55 | | Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum fund shall be credited to and |
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| 54 | 56 | | deposited in the fund. |
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| 55 | 57 | | SECTION 2. Section 61.003(6), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 56 | 58 | | read as follows: |
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| 57 | 59 | | (6) "Other agency of higher education" means The University |
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| 58 | 60 | | of Texas System, System Administration; The University of Texas at |
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| 59 | 61 | | El Paso Museum; Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute at The |
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| 60 | 62 | | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; The Texas A&M |
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| 61 | 63 | | University System, Administrative and General Offices; Texas A&M |
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| 62 | 64 | | AgriLife Research; Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Rodent and |
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| 63 | 65 | | Predatory Animal Control Service (a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife |
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| 64 | 66 | | Extension Service); Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station |
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| 65 | 67 | | (including the Texas A&M Transportation Institute); Texas A&M |
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| 66 | 68 | | Engineering Extension Service; Texas A&M Forest Service; Texas |
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| 67 | 69 | | Division of Emergency Management; Texas Tech University Museum; |
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| 68 | 70 | | Texas State University System, System Administration; Sam Houston |
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| 69 | 71 | | Memorial Museum;[ Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum;] Cotton |
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| 70 | 72 | | Research Committee of Texas; Texas Water Resources Institute; Texas |
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| 71 | 73 | | A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory; and any other unit, |
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| 72 | 74 | | division, institution, or agency which shall be so designated by |
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| 73 | 75 | | statute or which may be established to operate as a component part |
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| 74 | 76 | | of any public senior college or university, or which may be so |
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| 75 | 77 | | classified as provided in this chapter. |
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| 76 | 78 | | SECTION 3. On September 1, 2025, an employee of West Texas |
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| 77 | 79 | | A&M University assigned exclusively to the museum becomes an |
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| 78 | 80 | | employee of the commission. |
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| 79 | 81 | | SECTION 4. Section 102.35, Education Code, is repealed. |
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| 80 | 82 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 81 | 83 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 82 | 84 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 83 | 85 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 84 | 86 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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