HBA-MSH, MSH H.B. 2263 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2263 By: Danburg Transportation 3/20/2001 Introduced 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. House Bill 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 House Bill 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 when practicable signs informing users of the roadway of the marker and indicating the identifying number of the marker. The bill requires a sign to be located at or near the milepost along the roadway immediately preceding the historical marker in each direction. 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. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.