BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 928
85R6898 JAM-D	By: Rodr�guez; Estes
	Transportation
	4/13/2017
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 928 will designate a heritage trail commemorating Tom Lea, Texas' venerable artist, muralist, author, and war correspondent who, as described by Texas Highways magazine, "helped to define the way the world would view the mythology of Texas for much of the 20th century." Tom Lea was born on the border of Texas and Mexico in 1907 and created timeless works of art and literature over his lifetime. Lea painted murals dramatizing Texas' history all throughout the state, and his novels The Brave Bulls and The Wonderful Country are widely considered to be classics of southwestern American literature.

Recognizing the breadth of Lea's work all across Texas, S.B. 928 includes twelve municipalities as part of the trail: Austin, College Station, Dallas, El Paso, Fredericksburg, Galveston, Hebbronville, Kingsville, Odessa, Seymour, Sweetwater, and Waco. The Texas Historical Commission, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation, would designate segments of several Texas highways that connect these communities with ties to Lea's artwork or literature. Any markers erected along the highway segments or related marketing materials would be funded through private grants or donations.

Once officially recognized, the Tom Lea Trail will promote heritage tourism in many parts of the state, encourage regional pride, and spark statewide collaboration in drawing visitors to Texas.

As proposed, S.B. 928 amends current law relating to the designation of portions of certain highways as the Tom Lea Trail.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 442, Government Code, by adding Section 442.033, as follows:

Sec. 442.033. TOM LEA TRAIL AS TEXAS HISTORIC HIGHWAY. (a) Requires the Texas Historical Commission (THC) to cooperate with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to designate, interpret, and market certain segments of highway as the Tom Lea Trail and a Texas historic highway. Provides the segments of highway to which this subsection applies.

(b) Provides that a reference to a municipal boundary means that boundary as it exists on September 1, 2017.

(c) Authorizes THC and TxDOT to pursue federal funds dedicated to highway enhancement to supplement revenue available for the purposes under Subsection (a).

(d) Prohibits a designation of highway segments as the Tom Lea Trail and a Texas historic highway from being construed as a designation under the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. Section 300101 et seq.).

(e) Provides that TxDOT is not required to design, construct, or erect a marker unless a grant or donation of funds is made to TxDOT to cover the cost of the design, construction, and erection of the marker. Requires that money received to cover the cost of the market be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2017.