SRC-SEW H.B. 2263 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 2263
77R11523 JAT-FBy: Danburg (Gallegos)
State Affairs
5/9/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

The Texas historical marker program provides information about historically
significant sites, people, and events in Texas. The program has been used
to promote tourism and interest in local and state history for almost 40
years. The Texas Historical Commission has recently led the effort to
rehabilitate and catalogue the historical roadside markers throughout the
state and to create a database of the markers. No state travel guide is
published to disseminate this information to travelers. H.B. 2263 requires
the Texas Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Texas
Historical Commission, to publish a guide to roadside historical markers.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 442, Government Code, by adding Section 442.0065,
as follows: 
 
 Sec. 442.0065.  GUIDE TO HISTORICAL MARKERS. (a)  Defines "department."  
 
(b)  Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (department), in
consultation with the Texas Historical Commission (commission), to publish
a guide to historical markers along roadways in this state that includes
certain information.   
 
(c)  Requires the department to erect and maintain, for each historical
marker, if practicable, signs informing users of the roadway of the marker
and indicating the identifying number of the marker.  Requires the
department to erect a sign under this subsection approximately one mile
preceding the historical marker if that placement is practicable. 
 
(d)  Requires the department to use information from the commission's Texas
historical roadside marker restoration program and the state historical
marker program under Section 442.006 in creating the guide to historical
markers under Subsection (b). 
 
(e)  Requires the department to make available to the public the guide
published under Subsection (b) at a reasonable price determined by the
department. 
 
SECTION 2. Provides that the Texas Department of Transportation is not
required by Section 442.0065, Government Code, as added by this Act, to
replace or change a historical marker sign that was erected before the
effective date of this Act except in the normal course of maintenance of
the sign. 
 
SECTION 3. Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2001.