HBA-MSH H.B. 2263 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2263 By: Danburg Transportation 7/18/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND 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 led the effort to rehabilitate and catalogue the historical roadside markers throughout the state and to create a database of the markers. Prior to the 77th Legislature, no state travel guide was published to disseminate this information to travelers. House Bill 2263 requires the Texas Department of Transportation in consultation with the Texas Historical Commission to publish a guide to roadside historical markers. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2263 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in consultation with the Texas Historical Commission (commission) to publish a guide to historical markers along roadways in this state that includes a listing of the historical markers along roadways with identifying numbers assigned to each marker by TxDOT and a summary of the information on each marker. The bill requires TxDOT to erect and maintain if practicable signs informing users of the roadway of the marker and indicating the identifying number of the marker. The bill requires TxDOT to erect a sign approximately one mile preceding the historical marker if that placement is practicable. The bill requires TxDOT to use information from the commission's historical roadside marker restoration program and the state historical marker program in creating the guide to historical markers. The bill requires TxDOT to make the guide available to the public at a reasonable price determined by TxDOT. The bill requires that revenue from the sales of the guide be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund. The bill requires TxDOT to work with the commission to ensure that there is no duplication between publications currently available through the commission or other sources. The bill provides that TxDOT is not required to replace or change a historical marker sign that was erected before the effective date of the bill except in the normal course of maintenance of the sign. EFFECTIVE DATE June 13, 2001.