Texas Historical Commission

Final Results of Last Sunset Review

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• Continue the Texas Historical Commission (THC) for 12 years.

Collaboration Across Historic Sites

• Direct THC to establish and lead a working group composed of the chair or their designee from THC, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and State Preservation Board (SPB), the commissioner of the General Land Office (GLO) or his designee, and stakeholders to begin to develop a statewide historic sites master plan, including presenting a proposal for the development of such a plan by December 10, 2018.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Transfer six historic sites from TPWD to THC that are not attached to a state park:
  • Fanthorp Inn
  • Lipantitlan
  • Monument Hill / Kreische Brewery
  • Port Isabel Lighthouse
  • San Jacinto Monument and Battleground
  • Washington-on-the-Brazos
• Change the allocation of the sporting goods sales tax from 94 percent to TPWD and 6 percent to THC to 93 percent and 7 percent, respectively, and make THC’s historic sites dedicated account exempt from certain employee benefit requirements.
• Direct THC and TPWD to develop a memorandum of understanding to limit duplication in management of historic sites related to curatorial storage facilities, procurement and contracting, and preservation and interpretation.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct THC to adopt rules providing for a process that includes input from professional historians to provide additional perspectives for stakeholders to challenge the accuracy of existing THC historical markers.  (Management action – nonstatutory)

Curatorial Collections

• Align statutory requirements for the sale of surplus state goods with curatorial collection best practices, and as a management action, direct Sunset staff to work with the Texas Legislative Council to ensure statute dedicates the funds from these sales for the selling agency’s use.
• Direct THC and TPWD to work with the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC) to explore options for a joint curatorial facility to serve the needs of the state’s historic site collections.  Also direct THC and TPWD, in consultation with the SPB, GLO, and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, to identify and consider each agency’s storage needs.  Also specify the agencies should work together to create a master inventory of the state’s curatorial collections.  Further, direct THC to collaborate with TPWD, SPB, GLO, and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission to develop a uniform approach to inventorying the state’s curatorial collections and create a master inventory of such property.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct agencies with a curatorial collection and deaccession policy to work with TFC to sell unneeded collections items, and request that the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees consider adding a rider to the bill pattern of any agency with an officially adopted deaccession policy to retain proceeds from the sale of deaccessioned items.  (Management action – nonstatutory)

Heritage Trails Program

• Clearly establish the Heritage Trails program in statute and require THC to adopt rules regarding the program.
• Direct THC to work with the attorney general’s office on a single, performance-based contract for the Heritage Trails program and to provide stronger contract oversight.  (Management action – nonstatutory)
• Direct THC to include the use of the Heritage Trails program and nonprofits in its long-term planning.  (Management action – nonstatutory)

Governance

• Update the standard across-the-board requirement related to commission member training.
• Authorize the commission, by order or rule, to delegate its powers and duties to the executive director, and specify the powers and duties that may not be delegated.