1-1 By: Hunter (Senate Sponsor - Wentworth) H.C.R. No. 143 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 1997; 1-3 April 29, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Administration; May 9, 1997, reported favorably by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 9, 1997, sent to printer.) HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-6 WHEREAS, The studies of the arts, sciences, and humanities 1-7 are woven into the fabric of our cultural identity, and advancement 1-8 in these areas opens up new horizons in learning and allows us to 1-9 celebrate the diversity and unique cultural heritage of Texas; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Recognizing outstanding individuals in these fields 1-11 and bestowing on them titles of honor is a long-standing practice 1-12 in many states and serves as an encouragement to other talented 1-13 researchers and practitioners of these studies; and 1-14 WHEREAS, By implementing a cultural awareness program that 1-15 includes a system of awards for those who have made significant 1-16 contributions in the fields of science, art, and the humanities, 1-17 the Texas Legislature fosters the expression and exchange of ideas, 1-18 which is the highest priority of a democratic society; and 1-19 WHEREAS, The 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, adopted 1-20 House Concurrent Resolution 92, establishing the Governor's Awards 1-21 for Excellence in the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences, to be 1-22 conferred on Texans who demonstrate outstanding creative and 1-23 intellectual achievement in these fields of study; and 1-24 WHEREAS, It is useful to refine nomination and selection 1-25 procedures, so that potentially deserving individuals are 1-26 identified, reviewed by knowledgeable panelists, and honored where 1-27 appropriate as recipients of these distinguished awards; now, 1-28 therefore, be it 1-29 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-30 hereby provide that the governor have final authority to approve 1-31 all winners of the Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts, 1-32 Humanities, and Sciences, by naming one winner annually from each 1-33 category; and, be it further 1-34 RESOLVED, That a nominations committee be established, 1-35 composed of six staff-level members: three members to be appointed 1-36 by and serve at the pleasure of the governor; one member to be 1-37 appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Texas Commission on 1-38 the Arts; one member to be appointed by and serve at the pleasure 1-39 of the Texas Committee for the Humanities, headquartered in Austin, 1-40 a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities; and 1-41 one member to be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the 1-42 Texas Academy of Science, headquartered in San Angelo, an 1-43 affiliated academy of the American Association for the Advancement 1-44 of Science; and, be it further 1-45 RESOLVED, That a blue ribbon selection committee be 1-46 established, composed of nine members to be appointed by and serve 1-47 at the pleasure of the governor; and, be it further 1-48 RESOLVED, That the nominations committee develop criteria, 1-49 within the separate categories of the arts, sciences, and 1-50 humanities for award nominations, and that pursuant to those 1-51 criteria, the committee annually solicit and receive tentative 1-52 nominations from among arts, humanities, and scientific 1-53 organizations throughout the state; and, be it further 1-54 RESOLVED, That the nominations committee screen the tentative 1-55 nominations for conformity to its criteria, and in turn forward to 1-56 the selection committee resulting nomination lists and supporting 1-57 information for each of the three award categories; and, be it 1-58 further 1-59 RESOLVED, That the selection committee advise the governor on 1-60 final annual selection and submit to the governor the names of at 1-61 least three nominees each in the categories of the arts, 1-62 humanities, and sciences; and, be it further 1-63 RESOLVED, That funding for the award nomination and selection 1-64 processes, and for the award presentation program, be entirely from 2-1 private sources; and, be it further 2-2 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 2-3 copies of this resolution to the Texas Commission on the Arts, the 2-4 Texas Committee for the Humanities, and the Texas Academy of 2-5 Science, informing them of their respective roles in this worthy 2-6 endeavor. 2-7 * * * * *