By: Smithee H.B. No. 5554
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the operation and management of the Panhandle-Plains
Historical Museum by the Texas Historical Commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 442, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter B-3 to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER B-3. PANHANDLE-PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Sec. 442.067. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "museum"
means the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas.
Sec. 442.068. PANHANDLE-PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM; FUND.
(a) The museum currently consists of a facility on the campus of
West Texas A&M University and a collection owned by the
Panhandle-Plains Historical Society.
(b) To the extent authorized by law, the commission may
enter into a contract with the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society
for the operation and management of the museum. The commission may
also enter into a contract with West Texas A&M University or The
Texas A&M University System, as needed for the construction,
renovation, expansion, maintenance, or management of museum
facilities on the campus of West Texas A&M University.
(c) The contract with the Panhandle-Plains Historical
Society authorized by this section must include provisions for:
(1) expanding, renovating, managing, maintaining,
operating, or providing financial support for the museum collection
and museum facility and related assets;
(2) preserving the museum's collection;
(3) employing a museum director and other employees
the commission considers necessary to fulfill its duties and
responsibilities under the contract;
(4) accepting donations of money, property, and
historical relics; and
(5) acquiring property and historical relics with
funds available for that purpose.
(d) The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum fund is created
as a fund outside the state treasury. The commission shall
administer the fund but may contract with the Panhandle-Plains
Historical Society for administration of the fund. The fund
consists of:
(1) admissions revenue from the operation of the
museum;
(2) sales revenue from the operation of the museum
gift shop; and
(3) donations made to the commission for the museum.
(e) Money in the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum fund
may be spent without legislative appropriation and only to
administer, operate, preserve, repair, expand, or otherwise
maintain the museum.
(f) Interest and income from the assets of the
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum fund shall be credited to and
deposited in the fund.
SECTION 2. Section 61.003(6), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(6) "Other agency of higher education" means The University
of Texas System, System Administration; The University of Texas at
El Paso Museum; Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute at The
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; The Texas A&M
University System, Administrative and General Offices; Texas A&M
AgriLife Research; Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Rodent and
Predatory Animal Control Service (a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife
Extension Service); Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station
(including the Texas A&M Transportation Institute); Texas A&M
Engineering Extension Service; Texas A&M Forest Service; Texas
Division of Emergency Management; Texas Tech University Museum;
Texas State University System, System Administration; Sam Houston
Memorial Museum;[ Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum;] Cotton
Research Committee of Texas; Texas Water Resources Institute; Texas
A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory; and any other unit,
division, institution, or agency which shall be so designated by
statute or which may be established to operate as a component part
of any public senior college or university, or which may be so
classified as provided in this chapter.
SECTION 3. On September 1, 2025, an employee of West Texas
A&M University assigned exclusively to the museum becomes an
employee of the commission.
SECTION 4. Section 102.35, Education Code, is repealed.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.