By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 2230

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the transfer of the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the Texas Historical Commission.

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

SECTION 1. Section 442.072(a), Government Code is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 442.072. JURISDICTION. (a) The following historic sites and parks formerly under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Wildlife Department are under the commission's jurisdiction:

(1) Acton State Historic Site;

(2) Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site;

(3) Casa Navarro State Historic Site;

(4) Confederate Reunion Grounds State Historic Site;

(5) Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site;

(6) Fannin Battleground State Historic Site;

(7) Fort Griffin State Historic Site;

(8) Fort Lancaster State Historic Site;

(9) Fort McKavett State Historic Site;

(10) Fulton Mansion State Historic Site;

(11) Landmark Inn State Historic Site;

(12) Levi Jordan State Historic Site;

(13) Magoffin Home State Historic Site;

(14) Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site;

(15) Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site;

(16) San Felipe State Historic Site;

(17) Starr Family Home State Historic Site;

(18) Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site;

(19) Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site.

SECTION 2. (a) In this section, "historic site" means a historic site or park listed under Section 442.072, Government Code, as amended by this Act.

(b) On or after January 1, 2018, as provided by this section, the following are transferred to the Texas Historical Commission:

(1) the historic site and all obligations and liabilities of the Parks and Wildlife Department relating to the site;

(2) all unobligated and unexpended funds appropriated to the Parks and Wildlife Department designated for the administration of each site;

(3) all equipment and property of the Parks and Wildlife Department used for the administration of or related to each site; and

(4) all files and other records of the Parks and Wildlife Department kept by the department regarding each site.

(c) A rule adopted by the Parks and Wildlife Commission that is in effect immediately before January 1, 2018, and that relates to a historic site is, on January 1, 2018, a rule of the Texas Historical Commission and remains in effect until amended or repealed by the Texas Historical Commission. A rule that applies to both a transferred site and park that is not transferred is a rule of both commissions and applies to the transferred site until amended or repealed by the Texas Historical Commission.

(d) A transfer under this Act does not diminish or impair the rights of a holder of an outstanding bond or other obligation issued by the Parks and Wildlife Department in relation to the support of a historic site.

(e) On January 1, 2018, a reference in the Parks and Wildlife Code or other law to a power, duty, obligation, or liability of the Parks and Wildlife Department or the Parks and Wildlife Commission that relates to a historic site is a reference to the Texas Historical Commission. The Texas Historical Commission is the successor agency to the Parks and Wildlife Department and the Parks and Wildlife Commission for the site.

(f) The Texas Historical Commission shall prepare a base operating plan for each historic site before the transfer of any site or associated artifact or archival materials from the Parks and Wildlife Department to the commission. The base operating plan for each site must be completed on or before January 1, 2018. The base operating plan for each site must include:

(1) a mission statement outlining the goals for the site;

(2) an interpretive plan showing how the mission is to be accomplished;

(3) an operational plan, including:

(A) facilities, documents, records, and other assets to be transferred;

(B) parties responsible for daily site management, including staff that will be transferred;

(C) off-site support structure;

(D) plans for artifact and archival curation;

(E) assigned memoranda of understanding or memoranda of agreement with appropriate friends groups and volunteer organizations; and

(F) emergency plans;

(4) a maintenance plan, including maintenance and repair needs;

(5) a marketing plan;

(6) a business plan, including revenue and visitation goals;

(7) a plan for compliance with:

(A) Chapter 191, Natural Resources Code (the Antiquities Code of Texas); and

(B) the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. Section 470 et seq.); and

(8) fiscal plans and budgets associated with Subdivisions (1) through (7) of this subsection.

(g) Until a historic site is transferred to the Texas Historical Commission in accordance with this Act, the Parks and Wildlife Department shall continue to operate and maintain the site under applicable law as it existed on January 1, 2017.

(h) An employee of the Parks and Wildlife Department whose job responsibilities are more than 50 percent related to a historic site transferred to the Texas Historical Commission under this Act becomes an employee of the Texas Historical Commission on the date of the transfer of that site. An employee whose job is transferred may not be dismissed after the transfer except for cause before the first anniversary of the date of the transfer.

SECTION 3. 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, 2017.