BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1269

By: Whitmire

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas main street program helps Texas cities preserve their historic downtown while promoting tourism. It has been suggested that the program's annual process is too compressed to effectively help each new community master the benefits of the Texas Historical Commission's expert advice regarding architecture and design suggestions that may impact private sectors and building owners. S.B. 1269 seeks to resolve this issue by requiring the commission by rule to prescribe the frequency of community designations for participation in the program, which will provide new participants improved opportunities to learn, study their options, plan, and succeed.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Historical Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1269 amends the Government Code to revise provisions relating to the main street program administered by the Texas Historical Commission as follows:

· changes the program's purpose from assisting municipalities with the development, restoration, and preservation of their central business districts to assisting communities with the development, restoration, and preservation of their historic neighborhood commercial districts and central business districts;

· removes the specification that the commission's designation of participants in the program  as main street cities is annual and requires the commission instead to prescribe by rule the frequency of community designations; and

· removes the authorization for a municipality that is not designated as a program participant to apply with the commission to participate in the program as a main street city or as an urban main street city.

The bill requires the commission to adopt the rules necessary to administer the program provisions as amended by the bill as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.