S.B. No. 2325
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the eligibility of certain events for funding under the
  Major Events Reimbursement Program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 478.0001(3), Government Code, as amended
  by Chapters 10 (H.B. 1472), 102 (S.B. 1265), 605 (S.B. 1155), and
  915 (H.B. 3607), Acts of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session,
  2021, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
               (3)  "Event" means any of the following and includes
  any activity related to or associated with the following:
                     (A)  the Academy of Country Music Awards;
                     (B)  the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic
  Games;
                     (C)  the Bassmaster Classic;
                     (D)  a Big 12 Football Conference Championship
  game;
                     (E) [(D)]  the Breeders' Cup World Championships;
                     (F)  the CMT (Country Music Television) Music
  Awards;
                     (G) [(E)]  a game of the College Football Playoff
  or its successor;
                     (H) [(F)]  the Confederation of North, Central
  America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) Gold Cup;
                     (I) [(F)]  a CONVRG conference;
                     (J) [(G)]  an Elite Rodeo Association World
  Championship;
                     (K)  a Federation Equestre Internationale World
  Cup Final;
                     (L)  a Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme
  (FIM) World Supercross Championship race;
                     (M)  the [(H)  a] Formula One United States Grand
  Prix [automobile race];
                     (N) [(I)]  the largest event held each year at a
  sports entertainment venue in this state with a permanent seating
  capacity, including grandstand and premium seating, of at least
  125,000 on September 1, 2021;
                     (O) [(J)]  the Major League Baseball All-Star
  Game;
                     (P) [(K)]  the Major League Soccer All-Star Game
  or the Major League Soccer Cup;
                     (Q) [(L)]  a mixed martial arts championship;
                     (R) [(M)]  the Moto Grand Prix of the United
  States;
                     (S) [(N)]  the National Association for Stock Car
  Auto Racing (NASCAR):
                           (i)  All-Star Race;
                           (ii)  season-ending Championship Race; or
                           (iii)  Texas Grand Prix race;
                     (T) [(O)]  the National Basketball Association
  All-Star Game;
                     (U) [(P)]  a National Collegiate Athletic
  Association Final Four tournament game;
                     (V) [(Q)]  the National Collegiate Athletic
  Association men's or women's lacrosse championships;
                     (W) [(R)]  a national collegiate championship of
  an amateur sport sanctioned by the national governing body of the
  sport that is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee;
                     (X) [(S)]  the National Cutting Horse Association
  Triple Crown;
                     (Y) [(T)]  the National Hockey League All-Star
  Game;
                     (Z)  the National Hot Rod Association Fall
  Nationals at the Texas Motorplex;
                     (AA) [(U)]  a national political convention of
  the Republican National Committee or the Democratic National
  Committee;
                     (BB) [(V)  a championship event in]   the
  National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) Championship Series;
                     (CC) [(W)]  an Olympic activity, including a
  Junior or Senior activity, training program, or feeder program
  sanctioned by the United States Olympic Committee's Community
  Olympic Development Program;
                     (DD) [(X)]  a presidential general election
  debate;
                     (EE)  the Professional Bull Riders World Finals;
                     (FF) [(Y)]  the Professional Rodeo Cowboys
  Association National Finals Rodeo;
                     (GG)  a series of cricket matches or competitions
  within the T20 World Cup;
                     (HH) [(Z)]  a Super Bowl;
                     (II) [(AA)]  the United States Open Championship;
                     (JJ) [(BB)]  a World Cup soccer game or the World
  Cup soccer tournament;
                     (KK) [(CC)]  the World Games;
                     (LL) [(DD)]  a World Wrestling Entertainment
  WrestleMania event; or
                     (MM) [(EE)]  the X Games.
         SECTION 2.  Section 478.0001(7), Government Code, as amended
  by Chapters 10 (H.B. 1472), 102 (S.B. 1265), and 915 (H.B. 3607),
  Acts of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, is reenacted
  and amended to read as follows:
               (7)  "Site selection organization" means:
                     (A)  the Academy of Country Music;
                     (B)  the Amateur Athletic Union;
                     (C)  Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, LLC;
                     (D)  the Big 12 Conference;
                     (E)  CMT (Country Music Television) Productions
  Inc.;
                     (F) [(D)]  the College Football Playoff
  Administration, LLC, or its successor;
                     (G) [(E)]  the Commission on Presidential
  Debates;
                     (H)  the Confederation of North, Central America
  and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf);
                     (I) [(F)]  the Democratic National Committee;
                     (J) [(G)]  Dorna Sports;
                     (K) [(H)]  the Elite Rodeo Association;
                     (L) [(I)]  Encore Live;
                     (M) [(J)]  ESPN or an affiliate;
                     (N)  the Federation Equestre Internationale
  (FEI);
                     (O) [(K)]  the Federation Internationale de
  Football Association (FIFA);
                     (P)  the International Cricket Council;
                     (Q) [(L)]  the International World Games
  Association;
                     (R) [(M)]  Major League Baseball;
                     (S) [(N)]  Major League Soccer;
                     (T) [(O)]  the National Association for Stock Car
  Auto Racing (NASCAR);
                     (U) [(P)]  the National Basketball Association;
                     (V) [(Q)]  the National Collegiate Athletic
  Association;
                     (W) [(R)]  the National Cutting Horse
  Association;
                     (X) [(S)]  the National Football League;
                     (Y) [(T)]  the National Hockey League;
                     (Z)  the National Hot Rod Association;
                     (AA) [(U)]  the National Reined Cow Horse
  Association (NRCHA);
                     (BB)  Professional Bull Riders, LLC;
                     (CC) [(V)]  the Professional Rodeo Cowboys
  Association;
                     (DD) [(W)]  the Republican National Committee;
                     (EE)  SX Global;
                     (FF) [(X)]  the Ultimate Fighting Championship;
                     (GG) [(Y)]  the United States Golf Association;
                     (HH) [(Z)]  the United States Olympic Committee;
                     (II) [(AA)]  World Wrestling Entertainment; or
                     (JJ) [(BB)]  the national governing body of a
  sport that is recognized by:
                           (i)  the Federation Internationale de
  l'Automobile;
                           (ii)  Formula One Management Limited or its
  successor;
                           (iii)  the National Thoroughbred Racing
  Association; or
                           (iv)  the United States Olympic Committee.
         SECTION 3.  Section 478.0051, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b), an event described by
  Section 478.0001(3)(GG) may receive funding through the program if
  a portion of the event is held at one or more sites located in
  another state or country.
         SECTION 4.  Section 478.0052, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 478.0052.  SINGLE EVENT CLASSIFICATION FOR ELIGIBILITY
  PURPOSES.  For purposes of Section 478.0051:
               (1)  [,] each presidential general election debate in a
  series of presidential debates before a general election is
  considered a separate, single event; and
               (2)  each series of games for the World Cup soccer
  tournament held in a market area designated for that series is
  considered a separate, single event.
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter B, Chapter 478, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 478.00525 to read as follows:
         Sec. 478.00525.  SINGLE YEAR CLASSIFICATION FOR ELIGIBILITY
  PURPOSES FOR CERTAIN SPORTING EVENTS. For purposes of Sections
  478.0051(b)(1) and (3), a sporting event listed in Section
  478.0001(3) is considered to be held one time in each year if the
  event is held only one time in any annual season for that sport.
         SECTION 6.  Section 478.0053, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 478.0053.  EXEMPTION FROM CERTAIN ELIGIBILITY
  REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN LARGE VENUES.  Section 478.0051(b)(1) does
  not apply to an event described by Section 478.0001(3)(N) 
  [478.0001(3)(H)].  If an endorsing municipality or endorsing county
  requests the office to make a determination under Section 478.0102
  for an event described by Section
  478.0001(3)(N)  [478.0001(3)(H)], the remaining provisions of this
  chapter apply to that event as if the event satisfied the
  eligibility requirements under Section 478.0051(b)(1).
         SECTION 7.  Subchapter B, Chapter 480, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 480.00515 to read as follows:
         Sec. 480.00515.  SINGLE YEAR CLASSIFICATION FOR ELIGIBILITY
  PURPOSES FOR CERTAIN SPORTING EVENTS. For purposes of Sections
  480.0051(1) and (3), a sporting event is considered to be held one
  time in each year if the event is held only one time in any annual
  season for that sport.
         SECTION 8.  To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails
  over another Act of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023,
  relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
  codes.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2325 passed the Senate on
  April 26, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2023, by the
  following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2325 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 23, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 102,
  Nays 38, two present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor