(a) The Commission has authority over state-associated
collections in six categories based on the way they were generated.
They are as follows:
(1) Permitted-collections that are the result of work
governed by the Antiquities Code on land or under waters belonging
to the State of Texas or a political subdivision of the State necessitating
the issuance of a permit by the Commission. This work can be conducted
by an outside researcher, other state agency, cultural resources management
firm or by Commission personnel. Permitted collections form the bulk
of the Commission's state-associated collections.
(2) Commission non-permitted collections are the result
of work governed by the Antiquities Code on land or under waters belonging
to the State of Texas or a political subdivision of the State conducted
by Commission personnel without the issuance of a permit.
(3) Purchased-collections are the result of acquisition
of significant historical items by the Commission through the Texas
Historical Artifacts Acquisition Program or use of other state funds.
(4) Donated-collections are the result of a material
gift transaction by a private landowner, individual, corporation,
organization, or through a bequest to the Commission. A major component
of this category of collections is the consequence of work conducted
by or under the direction of Commission personnel on private lands
in Texas whereby the landowner transfers ownership of the generated
collection through a deed-of-gift or donation form to the State of
Texas and its agent, the Texas Historical Commission.
(5) Court action-collections are the result of rulings
by a court concerning confiscated, illegally-held archeological or
historical materials from public lands to be given to the Commission
for care and protection.
(6) Legislative action collections means collections
that are awarded to the commission through legislative action such
as House Bill 12, 80th Leg., Reg. Ses., 2007, which transferred 18
historic sites and all of their collections from the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department (TPWD) to the THC.
(b) Any or all of these state-associated collections
may be entrusted to and housed in a designated curatorial facility
in the State of Texas. They are accessioned, documented, and cataloged
objects, documents, and samples of cultural, scientific, or historical
significance that are representative of the diversity within the state.
These collections should be given a high level of care.
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