BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                             H.B. 860

                                                                                                                                          By: Casteel

                                                                                                                                       State Affairs

                                                                                                       Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

The Adopt-A-Map/Adopt-A-Document Program (program) was started by the Texas General Land Office in 2000. The program is a public/private partnership that allows Texans to make tax-deductible contributions toward the preservation of historic maps and documents. The General Land Office (GLO) 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.  In 2003, 78th Regular Session, C.S.S.B. 1603 was passed to add the program to the SECC, making three state agencies eligible for SECC: the Parks and Wildlife Foundation of Texas, Inc, the Bob Bullock State History Museum, and the General Land Office.  C.S.S.B. 1603 added the program to the SECC in order to allow state employees to authorize a salary or wage deduction as a donation for the program.  In 2004, the program name changed from Adopt-A-Map/Adopt-A-Document to Save Texas History.

 

The GLO created the Adopt-A-Beach Program in 1986.  The program is an all-volunteer effort designed to remove trash from Texas beaches and to increase public awareness of the problems of marine debris and beach litter.  Since the inception of the program, volunteers continue to show their support of clean beaches and of the program by volunteering their time twice each year to keep Texas' beaches clean and healthy for all to enjoy.  This legislation will add the Adopt-A-Beach Program to the SECC to allow state employees to authorize a salary or wage deduction as a donation for the program.

 

HB 860 changes the program name from Adopt-A-Map/Adopt-A-Document to Save Texas History and also adds the Adopt-A-Beach Program to the State Employees Charitable Campaign in order to allow state employees to authorize a salary or wage deduction as a donation for the program.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

Amends Chapter 31C, Natural Resources Code, changing the program name of Adopt-A-Map/Adopt-A-Document to Save Texas History and adding the Adopt-A-Beach program to the list of charitable organizations entitled to participate in the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC).

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage or September 1, 2005