1-1     By:  Hodge (Senate Sponsor - West)                    H.B. No. 2920

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 21, 1997;

 1-3     April 23, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 13, 1997, reported favorably by

 1-5     the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 13, 1997, sent to

 1-6     printer.)

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to the operation of museums and historic sites in certain

1-10     counties by nonprofit organizations.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 316, Local Government Code,

1-13     is amended by adding Section 316.022 to read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 316.022.  MUSEUMS AND HISTORIC SITES IN CERTAIN COUNTIES

1-15     OPERATED BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.  (a)  The commissioners court

1-16     of a county with a population of 1,200,000 or more may enter into a

1-17     contract with a nonprofit organization authorizing the nonprofit

1-18     organization to:

1-19                 (1)  manage and operate a museum, historical site,

1-20     historical building, or similar building or site in the county; and

1-21                 (2)  charge and collect a fee from the general public

1-22     for admission to the museum, historical site, historical building,

1-23     or similar building or site if the nonprofit organization is not

1-24     obligated to the county for capital improvements to the museum,

1-25     historical site, historical building, or similar building or site.

1-26           (b)  The commissioners court by order shall set the admission

1-27     fee authorized by the contract.

1-28           (c)  The funds generated by the admission fees are not

1-29     required to be deposited in the county treasury.

1-30           (d)  The nonprofit organization may spend funds generated by

1-31     the admission fees for the payment of costs associated with the

1-32     administration, maintenance, security, or staffing necessary to

1-33     operate the building or site as approved by the commissioners court

1-34     and provided by the contract.  The funds may not be spent for

1-35     purposes other than those associated with the building or site.

1-36           (e)  In this section, "nonprofit organization" means a

1-37     private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization described by Section

1-38     501(c)(3), Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Section

1-39     501(c)(3)), as amended.

1-40           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-41           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-42     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-43     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-44     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-45     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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