News

Today, the Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 12, by Rep. Harvey Hilderbran (R - Kerrville). House Bill 12 dedicates all sporting goods sales tax collections to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Historical Commission (THC) to support state parks, local parks and historic sites.

"The measures in House Bill 12 provide a long term funding allocation plan for these two great agencies. House budget conferees will be diligent in their efforts to ensure that this infusion of resources is appropriated as they work with the Senate on House Bill 1," Speaker Craddick (R - Midland) said. "I would like to thank Rep. Hilderbran for developing a plan that allocates the necessary resources to the Parks & Wildlife Department and the Historical Commission so these agencies are able to focus on what they do best."

House Bill 12 lifts the cap imposed during previous sessions on revenue dedicated to the TPWD from the sporting goods tax. Currently, TPWD is only allocated $32 million out of the roughly $100 million the tax raises annually. By lifting this cap, more than $215 million will be allocated to TPWD over the next biennium. 

"I am very pleased that an overwhelming majority of my colleagues understood the necessity of addressing the crisis facing our Texas parks," Rep. Hilderbran said. "The passage of House Bill 12 is a crucial first step in fixing the problems in our park system and returning it to the beacon system in the nation. House Bill 12 will restore excellence to the Texas park system by removing the funding cap, improving management practices and increasing local park funding opportunities, which will help increase revenue and traffic to Texas parks and historic sites and provide the kind of experience that will bring visitors back."

House Bill 12 also transfers management of 18 historic sites from the TPWD to the THC along with over $13 million to operate these sites over the next biennium. The transfers will give these historic sites more individualized attention from the THC. The THC specializes in historic preservation and manages some of the most effective preservation programs in the nation, including the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, the Texas Main Street Program and the Texas Heritage Trails program. The tourism these historic sites attract is a particularly strong contribution to the state's economy, making it imperative that these sites are being used to their full potential as economic development tools.