By: Gonzales (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 2796

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 30, 2007; May 2, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on International Relations and Trade; May 15, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 15, 2007, sent to printer.)

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of certain counties to create or finance museums.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 10, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Chapter 330 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 330. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 330.001. OPERATION AND FINANCING OF COUNTY MUSEUMS. (a) This section applies only to a county that has substantial urban areas and borders on an international boundary. For the purposes of this subsection, a county has substantial urban areas only if at least four municipalities, each with a population of more than 25,000, are located in the county.

(b) A county may construct or operate a museum in the county to display, construct, restore, preserve, maintain, or reconstruct buildings, works of art, and related furnishings for exhibitions.

(c) A county may contract with an entity operating a museum in the county to provide the museum described by Subsection (b). To be eligible to enter into the contract, the entity must be:

(1) organized under the Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act (Article 1396-1.01 et seq., Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes); and

(2) accredited by a nationally recognized association of museums acceptable to the county.

(d) As part of the contract, the commissioners court may appropriate money from the general fund of the county to the museum to purchase, display, construct, restore, preserve, maintain, operate, or reconstruct a building, work of art, or related furnishings used by the museum to further its exhibitions or operations and to promote county purposes under this chapter.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

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