Smithee Museum Bill’s New Fund Skips Legislative Appropriation

The text as introduced · 640 words

By: Smithee
H.B. No. 5554

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the operation and management of the Panhandle-Plains

Historical Museum by the Texas Historical Commission.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 442, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subchapter B-3 to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER B-3. PANHANDLE-PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Sec. 442.067. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "museum"

means the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas.

Sec. 442.068. PANHANDLE-PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM; FUND.

(a) The museum currently consists of a facility on the campus of

West Texas A&M University and a collection owned by the

Panhandle-Plains Historical Society.

(b) To the extent authorized by law, the commission may

enter into a contract with the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society

for the operation and management of the museum. The commission may

also enter into a contract with West Texas A&M University or The

Texas A&M University System, as needed for the construction,

renovation, expansion, maintenance, or management of museum

facilities on the campus of West Texas A&M University.

(c) The contract with the Panhandle-Plains Historical

Society authorized by this section must include provisions for:

(1) expanding, renovating, managing, maintaining,

operating, or providing financial support for the museum collection

and museum facility and related assets;

(2) preserving the museum's collection;

(3) employing a museum director and other employees

the commission considers necessary to fulfill its duties and

responsibilities under the contract;

(4) accepting donations of money, property, and

historical relics; and

(5) acquiring property and historical relics with

funds available for that purpose.

(d) The Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum fund is created

as a fund outside the state treasury. The commission shall

administer the fund but may contract with the Panhandle-Plains

Historical Society for administration of the fund. The fund

consists of:

(1) admissions revenue from the operation of the

museum;

(2) sales revenue from the operation of the museum

gift shop; and

(3) donations made to the commission for the museum.

(e) Money in the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum fund

may be spent without legislative appropriation and only to

administer, operate, preserve, repair, expand, or otherwise

maintain the museum.

(f) Interest and income from the assets of the

Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum fund shall be credited to and

deposited in the fund.

SECTION 2. Section 61.003(6), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(6) "Other agency of higher education" means The University

of Texas System, System Administration; The University of Texas at

El Paso Museum; Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute at The

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; The Texas A&M

University System, Administrative and General Offices; Texas A&M

AgriLife Research; Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Rodent and

Predatory Animal Control Service (a part of the Texas A&M AgriLife

Extension Service); Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station

(including the Texas A&M Transportation Institute); Texas A&M

Engineering Extension Service; Texas A&M Forest Service; Texas

Division of Emergency Management; Texas Tech University Museum;

Texas State University System, System Administration; Sam Houston

Memorial Museum;[ Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum; ] Cotton

Research Committee of Texas; Texas Water Resources Institute; Texas

A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory; and any other unit,

division, institution, or agency which shall be so designated by

statute or which may be established to operate as a component part

of any public senior college or university, or which may be so

classified as provided in this chapter.

SECTION 3. On September 1, 2025, an employee of West Texas

A&M University assigned exclusively to the museum becomes an

employee of the commission.

SECTION 4. Section 102.35, Education Code, is repealed.

SECTION 5. 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, 2025.