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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation, purpose, implementation, and funding of |
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the County Park Beautification and Improvement Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 10, Local Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 328 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 328. COUNTY PARK BEAUTIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 328.001. PURPOSE; CREATION. It is the intent of the |
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legislature that each county dedicating land for use as county |
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parks be encouraged to beautify and improve those parks through |
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measures including but not limited to improvements in or additions |
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to lighting, directional and educational signs, litter abatement |
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strategies, and landscaping and landscape maintenance policies. In |
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furtherance of these goals, the County Park Beautification and |
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Improvement Program is established. |
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Sec. 328.002. IMPLEMENTATION. The commissioners court of a |
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county may by majority vote elect to participate in the program. On |
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such election, the commissioners court shall designate one person |
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in the division of the county government responsible for the care |
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and maintenance of the county parks as the coordinator for the |
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program. The coordinator may solicit advice and assistance from |
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state and county agencies and private organizations in developing |
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and implementing the program. |
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Sec. 328.003. REPORT; ADOPTION. The coordinator shall |
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report to the commissioners court the coordinator's findings and |
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shall recommend an implementation strategy to the commissioners |
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court. The commissioners court may reject or adopt the |
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implementation strategy. If the commissioners court rejects the |
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strategy, it shall specify to the coordinator the reasons for such |
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rejection, and the coordinator shall develop a new implementation |
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strategy to present to the commissioners court within six months of |
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the rejection. On adoption of an implementation strategy, the |
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commissioners court may fund the program as provided in Section |
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328.004. |
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Sec. 328.004. FUNDING. The commissioners court of a county |
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electing to participate in the program may solicit and accept |
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bequests, donations, grants, and other money, goods, and services |
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from federal, state, and private sources to finance and further the |
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goals of the program but may not levy any tax or receive any |
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legislative appropriation to fund such participation. The state is |
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not liable for debts or other obligations incurred by a county in |
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implementing or planning to implement the program under this |
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chapter. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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legislative session. |