| TO: | Honorable Kevin Eltife, Chair, Senate Committee on Administration |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB1518 by Eltife (Relating to the powers and duties of the Texas Historical Commission; imposing a penalty.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend and add several provisions of the Government Code and Parks and Wildlife Code. The bill would authorize the Historical Commission (Commission) to obtain criminal history record information maintained by the Department of Public Safety or the identification division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of employees, volunteers and interns, applicants to any of those positions, and contractors and subcontractors for the Commission. The bill would authorize the Commission to acquire historic sites by purchase, gift or other manner. The Commission would be required to restore, maintain and develop plans for the preservation and development of sites acquired. The bill would require the Commission to deposit to the credit of the historic sites account revenue received at historic sites from operation of concessions; lease of grazing rights; sales of products grown on sites; and fines received from violation of rules governing health, safety and protection of persons and properties at the sites. The bill would require refund of any funds deposited by the Commission in the state treasury by mistake of fact or mistake of law to be refunded. Refunds necessary to maintain the proper correction would be appropriated by the General Appropriations Act. Other provisions of the bill would clarify existing authority of the Commission relating to historic sites.
There would be an indeterminite cost to the state associated with implementation of provisions of this bill for purchase, preservation and operation of additional historic sites. It is assumed that costs associated with implementation of other provisions of the bill could be absorbed within existing resources.
Revenues directed by the bill to be deposited to the historic sites account would be deposited to the General Revenue Fund, unless the historic sites account is recreated by legislation.
| Source Agencies: | 405 Department of Public Safety, 601 Department of Transportation, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department, 808 Historical Commission
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, KM, MS, LCO
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