BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                    C.S.H.B. 2621

                                                                                                                                     By: Isett, Carl

                                                                                                                                       State Affairs

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Under current law, the Texas Building and Procurement Commission maintains responsibility for providing facility management services to six Texas Historical Commission buildings located in the Capitol Complex. The responsibility was placed on the Texas Building and Procurement Commission during the Seventy-Eighth Legislature, Regular session, as a part of House Bill 3042. The Texas Building and Procurement Commission does not maintain adequate skill sets and staffing to meet the unique preservation and historical needs of all these buildings; however, the Historical Commission, does staff and employee specific skill sets related to the historic preservation of facilities. C.S.H.B. 2621 transfers the responsibility for providing facility management services to five buildings located in the Capitol Complex from the Texas Building and Procurement Commission to the Texas Historical Commission.

 

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

 

C.S.H.B. 2621 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Historical Commission to restore and maintain the contents and grounds of the Gethsemane Church and Carrington-Covert House.

 

The bill requires the Texas Historical Commission to preserve, maintain, and restore Luther Hall, the Elrose Building, and the Christianson-Leberman Building, their contents, and grounds.  The bill provides the location of the buildings.

 

The bill exempts the Texas Building and Procurement Commission from requirements to provide facility management services to the property maintained by the Texas Historical Commission under Section 443.0072 and Section 443.0073, Government Code.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2007.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

 

C.S.H.B. 2621 modifies the original by transferring the responsibility of the five mentioned facilities to be preserved, maintained and restored to the Texas Historical Commission instead of the Texas State Preservation Board.  The substitute also changes the original by not including the Governor's Mansion among the facilities to be transferred.