bill on spending the historic infrastructure trust fund

The text as introduced · 431 words

89R14581 GP-F

By: Metcalf
H.B. No. 3471

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the permissible uses of money attributable to the

historic infrastructure sustainability trust fund.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 442.0151(b), (f), and (h), Government

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(b) The historic infrastructure sustainability trust fund

is created as a trust fund outside the treasury held by the trust

company and administered by the comptroller as trustee on behalf of

the people of this state to generate earnings on money in the fund

for the purpose of maintaining, preserving, rehabilitating,

improving, and restoring historic sites throughout the state.

(f) The commission annually may request a distribution from

the fund in an amount that may not exceed the amount the trust

company determines is available for distribution in the applicable

year under Subsection (d). Money distributed from the fund to the

commission may be used only for the purpose of maintaining,

preserving, rehabilitating, improving, and restoring state

historic sites under the control of the commission and for the

historic courthouse preservation program under Section 442.0081.

The commission shall allocate at least one-third of each annual

distribution from the fund under this subsection for the historic

courthouse preservation program. The commission may not use money

received from an annual distribution under this subsection to pay

salaries, employee benefits, costs associated with employee

benefits, or administration, operating, or program costs of the

commission.

(h) The commission may receive an additional distribution

from the fund under Subsection (g) only after the commission

certifies to the Legislative Budget Board that:

(1) the commission has reviewed and approved the use

of the money;

(2) all purchases made with the money will conform to

any applicable provision of law governing state procurement and

contracting; and

(3) the money will not be used to:

(A) pay salaries, employee benefits, costs

associated with employee benefits, or administration, operating,

or program costs of the commission or the state historic sites under

the control of the commission;

(B) acquire new historic sites [ or real

property ]; or

(C) purchase capital equipment that is not

related to the rehabilitation or restoration of a historic site

under the control of the commission or the historic courthouse

preservation program under Section 442.0081.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to a distribution from the historic infrastructure sustainability

trust fund requested by the Texas Historical Commission on or after

the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.