SRC-TJG S.B. 1603 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1603 By: Ellis, Rodney Natural Resources 3/28/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE The Adopt-A-Map/Adopt-A-Document Program (program) was started in 2000 by the General Land Office. The program is a public/private partnership which allows Texans to make tax deductible contributions toward the preservation of historic maps and documents. The General Land Office is authorized to accept donations from the public to conserve these maps and documents. Under the State Employee's Charitable Campaign Program (SECC), state employers are authorized to make deductions each pay period from the employee's salary or wage payment if the employee wishes to make a charitable donation. Currently, there are two state agencies eligible for SECC: the Parks and Wildlife Foundation of Texas, Inc and the Bob Bullock State History Museum. As proposed, S.B. 1603 adds the program to the SECC in order to allow state employees to authorize a salary or wage deduction as a donation for the program. 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 31C, Natural Resources Code, by adding Section 31.0655, as follows: Sec. 31.0655. STATE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS TO ADOPT-A-MAP/ADOPTA-DOCUMENT PROGRAM. Provides that, for purposes of Chapter 659I (Charitable Contributions), Government Code, the General Land Office (GLO), for the sole purpose of managing the Adopt-A-Map/Adopt-A-Document Program (program), is considered an eligible charitable organization entitled to participate in the state employee charitable campaign and a state employee is entitled to authorize a deduction for contributions to GLO for the purpose of managing the program as a charitable contribution under Section 659.132, Government Code, and authorizes GLO to use the contributions for the purpose of preserving historic maps and documents under that program. SECTION 2. Provides that the General Land Office is entitled to participate in the state employee charitable campaign conducted during the autumn of 2003 without regard to any limitation on the time during which an organization must apply to participate in the campaign. SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.