PUC C.S.S.B. 595 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS STATE RECREATIONAL RESOURCES C.S.S.B. 595 By: Ratliff (Patterson, L.P. "Pete") 5-7-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Currently, Cooper Lake State Park is open in an effort to boost economic development in and around Delta County. As the U.S. House of Representatives closed session in the fall of 1996, Congress approved changing the lake's name to Jim Chapman Lake in honor of retiring Congressman Jim Chapman. Citizens of the towns of Cooper and Delta County are concerned that the name change will take away the city of Cooper's identity to the lake and will not represent the number of years the citizens have dedicated to keeping the lake. S.B. 595 prohibits the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife from renaming the state park and prohibits the Texas Department of Transportation from changing any sign that refers to Cooper Lake, Cooper Lake State Park, or erecting any new signs for Jim Chapman Lake. PURPOSE As proposed, C.S.S.B. 595 outlines provisions regarding Cooper State Park. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 22, Parks and Wildlife Code, by adding Subchapter U, as follows: SUBCHAPTER U. COOPER STATE PARK Sec. 22.281. JURISDICTION. Provides that Cooper State Park, located in Delta and Hopkins counties, is under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Wildlife Department. Sec. 22.282. SIGNS. Sets forth certain signs which the Texas Department of Transportation is prohibited from erecting. Sec. 22.283. PUBLICATIONS. Prohibits the state from referring to the lake at Cooper State Park without also making reference to Cooper State Park in any state publication, including a map or brochure. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1997. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The original bill makes reference to Cooper Lake State Park, this reference has been changed to Cooper State Park throughout the committee substitute. CSHB 595, Sec. 22.282 (2), provides that TxDOT may not erect a sign that refers to the lake at Cooper State Park without also making reference to Cooper State Park, in the original bill subsection (2) provided that TxDOT may not erect a sign that refers to the lake at Cooper Lake State Park by a name other than Cooper Lake. CSHB 595, Sec. 22.283, provides the state may not refer to the lake at Cooper State Park without also making reference to Cooper State Park, the original bill provided that the state may not refer to Cooper Lake State Park by a name other than Cooper Lake State Park. CSHB 595 adds a new SECTION 2, which states the effective date of this act is September 1, 1997, and the following section is renumbered appropriately.