HBA-MSH C.S.H.B. 2263 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2263
By: Danburg
Transportation
4/18/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The Texas historical marker program provides information about historically
significant sites, people, and events in Texas. The program has been used
to promote tourism and interest in local and state history for almost 40
years.  The Texas Historical Commission has recently led the effort to
rehabilitate and catalogue the historical roadside markers throughout the
state and to create a database of the markers.  No state travel guide is
published to disseminate this information to travelers.  C.S.H.B. 2263
requires the Texas Department of Transportation in consultation with the
Texas Historical Commission to publish a guide to roadside historical
markers.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2263 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT) in consultation with the Texas Historical Commission
(commission) to publish a guide to historical markers along roadways in
this state that includes a listing of the historical markers along roadways
with identifying numbers assigned to each marker by TxDOT and a summary of
the information on each marker. The bill requires TxDOT to erect and
maintain if practicable signs informing users of the roadway of the marker
and indicating the identifying number of the marker.  The bill requires
TxDOT to erect a sign approximately one mile preceding the historical
marker if that placement is practicable.  The bill requires TxDOT to use
information from the commission's historical roadside marker restoration
program and the state historical marker program in creating the guide to
historical markers.  The bill requires TxDOT to make the guide available to
the public at a reasonable price determined by TxDOT. 

The bill provides that TxDOT is not required to replace or change a
historical marker sign that was erected before the effective date of the
bill except in the normal course of maintenance of the sign. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2263 differs from the original by requiring the Texas Department
of Transportation (TxDOT) to erect a sign approximately one mile preceding
the historical marker if practicable rather than at or near the milepost
along the roadway immediately preceding the historical marker in each
direction.  The substitute provides that TxDOT is only required to replace
or change a historical marker erected before the effective date of the bill
in the normal course of maintenance of the sign.