BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 738

By: Gervin-Hawkins

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that the Rosenwald School building program was a progressive era education program that essentially created thousands of schools for black students during the time of segregation to help remedy the racial schooling gaps in the South. The bill author has also informed the committee that, from a wider perspective, the school program helped foster educational growth across the United States, ultimately making the Rosenwald Schools a crucial part of African American history, notably in the rural South. The bill author has further informed the committee that while Texas once held 470 of these schools, according to a Texas Historical Commission survey, only 39 of the buildings still remain. The bill author has also informed the committee that the remaining Rosenwald School buildings survive as a prominent symbol of African American perseverance through societal and systemic barriers that continuously steered them away from pursuing their education and their dedication to creating a better lifestyle. H.B. 738 seeks to recognize, protect, renovate, and upkeep the legacy of the Rosenwald School building program tradition by reimagining these schools as community learning centers with the aim of helping students to improve their academic performance, engagement and school attendance, and social development skills.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Historical Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 738 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Historical Commission to establish a program to identify, renovate, restore, maintain, and preserve Rosenwald Schools structures, and their contents, located in Texas, and protect the historical and architectural integrity of the exterior, interior, and grounds of those structures. The bill authorizes the commission to do the following:

· acquire property containing a Rosenwald School structure as part of the program;

· use such a structure restored, repaired, or renovated under the program as a community learning center;

· accept gifts, grants, and in-kind donations from public and private entities to implement the program; and

· adopt rules reasonably necessary to implement the program.

The bill authorizes the legislature to appropriate money to the commission to implement the program and requires the commission to first implement the program in the south central region of Texas.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.