CHAPTER 782. CULTURAL BASIN ACT
GOVERNMENT CODE
TITLE 7. INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
CHAPTER 782. CULTURAL BASIN ACT
Sec. 782.001. SHORT TITLE. This chapter may be cited as the
Cultural Basin Act of 1973.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.002. PURPOSE. The purpose of this chapter is to
improve the quality of life for the residents of Texas by:
(1) stimulating orderly economic and socially desirable
development; and
(2) conserving and utilizing the state's human and natural
resources.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.003. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Commission" means a cultural basin commission.
(2) "Council of government" means a regional planning commission
or similar regional planning agency created under Chapter 391,
Local Government Code.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.004. CREATION. (a) The governor shall designate a
geographical area in the state as a cultural basin if:
(1) there is a commonality within the area, based on cultural,
historical, and economic factors;
(2) the areas of commonality within the proposed cultural basin
are contiguous; and
(3) state planning regions may be used as building blocks for
the formation of the cultural basin.
(b) The governor shall designate no fewer than four and no more
than seven cultural basins.
(c) Each of three major metropolitan areas should be in separate
cultural basins.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.005. GREATER SOUTH TEXAS CULTURAL BASIN. (a) The
Greater South Texas Cultural Basin is designated as the first
cultural basin.
(b) The experience of the Greater South Texas Cultural Basin
Commission shall be used in the formulation and development of
additional cultural basin commissions.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.006. COMMISSION. (a) The governor shall appoint a
commission for each cultural basin the governor designates.
(b) A commission shall meet quarterly and at other times as
called by a majority of the commission members or the commission
chairman.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.007. COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP. (a) A commission is
composed of the following members appointed by the governor:
(1) five local citizens;
(2) the presiding officer of each council of government in the
cultural basin;
(3) six administrative heads of state agencies; and
(4) five representatives of federal agencies.
(b) Members of a commission serve for terms of two years.
(c) The governor serves as the chairman of each cultural basin
commission.
(d) A member of the commission is entitled to reimbursement for
actual expenses incurred in the performance of the member's
duties if the expenses are not reimbursed from another source.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.008. DUTIES OF CERTAIN COMMISSION MEMBERS. (a)
Members of the commission who are citizen representatives or
local officials shall:
(1) establish local and basin-wide goals and priorities; and
(2) make management and policy decisions.
(b) The members of a commission who are presiding officers of
councils of government shall:
(1) coordinate the efforts, programs, goals, and projects of the
council with those of the cultural basin commission; and
(2) make management and policy decisions.
(c) The members of a commission who are state and federal agency
representatives shall design programs and allocate funds to
implement the goals set by the commission.
(d) The administrative heads of state agencies shall coordinate
activities of the commission with all state agencies.
(e) A commission, in setting its local goals, shall:
(1) consult existing groups, including local human resource
councils; and
(2) utilize information, studies, and proposed solutions to
problems from citizen commissions, including the Rural
Development Commission.
(f) The governor shall present plans and proposals of the
commission for review to the appropriate state agencies and,
along with the recommendations of the agencies, recommend to the
legislature actions to be taken regarding the cultural basins.
(g) The governor shall provide an effective and continuing
liaison between the federal government, state agencies, and all
commissions.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.009. FUNCTIONS OF COMMISSION. (a) A commission shall,
with respect to its cultural basin:
(1) foster surveys and studies to provide information for the
preparation of plans and programs for the development of the
cultural basin;
(2) advise and assist the governor in coordinating councils of
government to maximize benefits from the expenditure of federal,
state, and local funds;
(3) promote increased private investment in the cultural basin;
(4) prepare legislative and other recommendations for
short-range and long-range programs and projects;
(5) develop, on a continuing basis, comprehensive and
coordinated plans and programs for the cultural basin and
establish priorities among these plans and programs, considering
other federal, state, regional, and local plans;
(6) conduct and sponsor investigations, research, and studies,
including an inventory and analysis of the resources of the
cultural basin;
(7) in cooperation with federal, state, regional, and local
agencies, sponsor demonstration projects to foster cultural basin
productivity and growth;
(8) in cooperation with the agency involved, review and study
federal, state, regional, and local public and private programs
and recommend modifications or additions that increase the
programs' effectiveness in the cultural basin;
(9) formulate and recommend interstate compacts and other forms
of interstate cooperation;
(10) formulate and recommend international agreements between
the United States and Mexico that have significant impact on the
economy or delivery of services to the people of this state; and
(11) establish and use citizen input, advisory councils, and
public conferences for the consideration of problems and
solutions for the cultural basin.
(b) A commission may make recommendations to the legislature and
to appropriate local officials regarding:
(1) the expenditure of funds by federal, state, and local
agencies in the cultural basin in the areas of:
(A) natural resources;
(B) agriculture;
(C) education;
(D) training;
(E) health and welfare;
(F) transportation;
(G) recreation;
(H) public works; and
(I) other areas related to the purposes of this chapter; and
(2) additional state legislation or administrative actions
necessary to further the purposes of this chapter.
(c) This chapter does not authorize a commission to approve or
disapprove funding to a county, city, or council of government.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.010. ASSISTANCE BY GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND STATE
AGENCIES. (a) The governor's office shall provide technical
assistance and staff support to assist a commission in the
performance of its duties and to develop its recommendations and
programs.
(b) Assistance must include:
(1) studies and plans evaluating the needs of and developing the
potential for the economic growth of the cultural basin; and
(2) research on improving the conservation and use of human and
natural resources in the basin.
(c) The governor's office may provide assistance to a commission
through:
(1) members of the governor's staff;
(2) the payment of funds authorized by this section;
(3) contracts with private individuals, partnerships, firms,
corporations, or suitable institutions; and
(4) grants to the commission.
(d) A state agency shall assist a commission in performing its
functions.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.011. COORDINATION BY STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES. State
and federal agencies shall coordinate existing programs and
design state and federal programs through contact and
communications with the members of a commission.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.012. BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS; FUNDS. (a) A
commission is within the governor's office for budgetary
purposes, with necessary expenses of operations financed by
line-item appropriations to the governor's office.
(b) A commission may accept gifts and grants from a person. The
funds received shall be deposited in the state treasury and may
be used as appropriated by the legislature, subject to the
limitations in the gift or grant and in accordance with the
annual report or other recommendations of a commission.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.013. DEVELOPMENT GRANT. (a) The legislature shall
appropriate a development grant fund. On receipt of a report
under Section 782.008(f), the legislature may release appropriate
development grant funds in block grant form to be used by a
commission in accordance with the commission's report.
(b) The governor shall encourage each commission and reviewing
state agency to follow procedures that consider the following
factors when developing recommendations and funding for
recommendations, setting priorities, and taking other appropriate
actions:
(1) the relationship of the project to the overall cultural
basin development, including its location in an area determined
to have a significant potential for growth;
(2) the population and area to be served by the project and the
relative per capita income and the unemployment rates in the
area;
(3) the relative financial resources available to the state or
political subdivision that will undertake the project;
(4) the importance of the project in relation to other projects
that may be in competition for the same funds;
(5) the prospects that the project, on a continuing rather than
a temporary basis, will improve the opportunities for employment,
the average level of income, or the economic and social
development of the area served by the project; and
(6) any possible environmental impact of the project.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.
Sec. 782.014. ANNUAL REPORT. (a) On or before December 1 of
each year, each commission shall make a written report to the
governor and the presiding officer of each house of the
legislature.
(b) The report must include a statement of the commission's
activities and recommendations.
(c) The report required by this section must be consistent with
Sections 782.008(f) and 782.013.
Added by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 38, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
1991.