IMF H.B. 1216 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


STATE AFFAIRS
H.B. 1216
By: Edwards
4-19-97
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND 

Juneteenth commemorates the arrival of President Lincoln's Emancipation
Proclamation in Texas on June 19, 1865, belatedly bringing about the
freeing of approximately 250,000 slaves.  Since that time the anniversary
of this occasion has been celebrated by Texans through festivals,
political rallies, and in 1979, a state holiday.  African-Americans in
several local communities gathered funds to purchase Emancipation Parks to
provide a location for the celebrations, the most famous one, in Houston,
was established in 1872.  In Austin, Juneteenth was first celebrated in
1867 under the direction of the Freedman's Bureau.  In order to catalog
and commemorate the history behind the anniversary, this bill would create
the Texas Emancipation Juneteenth Cultural and Historical Commission. 

PURPOSE

This bill relates to the creation and operation of the Texas Emancipation
Juneteenth Cultural and Historical Commission. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly grants rulemaking
authority to the Texas Emancipation Juneteenth Cultural and Historical
Commission in SECTION 1 (Sec. 448.031(1), Government Code) of the bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subtitle D, Title 4, Government Code by adding Chapter
448 to read as follows: 

Sec. 448.001. Definitions.
Sec. 448.002. Makes commission subject to sunset review, and provides that
it will be abolished September 1, 2001, unless continued as provided by
the Texas Sunset Act. 
Sec. 448.003-Sec. 448.030 Composition and administration of commission.
Commission to be composed of six public members appointed by the governor,
two senate members, two house members, and the executive director of the
Texas Historical Commission. 
Sec. 448.031. Directs the commission to adopt rules, coordinate state and
local Juneteenth celebrations, establish a Juneteenth memorial, and to
encourage organization of individual, private, and public activities. 
Sec. 448.032-Sec. 448.033. Allows the commission to accept gifts and
creates an account in the General Revenue fund for deposit of such gifts. 

SECTION 2. Instructs the governor to appoint, as soon as possible after
the act becomes effective, the initial public members of the Texas
Emancipation Juneteenth Cultural and Historical Commission. 

SECTION 3. Effective date:  September 1, 1997.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.