1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to establishing an institute for the preservation of 1-3 history and culture at Prairie View A&M University. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 87, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 87.106 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 87.106. INSTITUTE FOR PRESERVATION OF HISTORY AND 1-8 CULTURE. (a) The board of regents of The Texas A&M University 1-9 System shall establish at Prairie View A&M University an institute 1-10 for the preservation of Texas and American history and culture. 1-11 (b) The organization, control, and management of the 1-12 institute is vested in the board of regents. 1-13 (c) The employment of personnel by and the operating budget 1-14 of the institute are subject to the approval of the board of 1-15 regents. An employee of the institute is an employee of Prairie 1-16 View A&M University. 1-17 (d) The mission of the institute is to collect, preserve, 1-18 study, and make available for research information, records, 1-19 documents, artifacts, and other items relating to Texas history and 1-20 culture and to the history and culture of the United States and the 1-21 Americas as that history and culture relates to Texas. The 1-22 institute shall give special emphasis to collecting, preserving, 1-23 and studying information and items relating to the role and 1-24 contributions of African Americans to Texas history and culture, 2-1 including: 2-2 (1) the history of African-American education in 2-3 Texas; 2-4 (2) the contributions of African Americans to military 2-5 history; and 2-6 (3) the role and contributions of African Americans in 2-7 the settlement, development, and culture of Texas, including in the 2-8 areas of government, agriculture, science and industry, labor and 2-9 demography, business, nursing and medicine, public health, 2-10 architecture and engineering, the professions, sports, and the 2-11 arts. 2-12 (e) Consistent with its mission, the institute may: 2-13 (1) establish and operate a museum, archives, 2-14 automated systems for data access and retrieval, or similar 2-15 facilities; and 2-16 (2) operate educational and awareness programs, 2-17 particularly for students in public education. 2-18 (f) The board of regents or the university may solicit and 2-19 accept gifts and grants from a public or private source for the 2-20 benefit of the institute. 2-21 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-26 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-27 passage, and it is so enacted. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.B. No. 889 was passed by the House on April 23, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 0, 2 present, not voting. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.B. No. 889 was passed by the Senate on May 17, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: _____________________ Date _____________________ Governor