| (a) Purpose. The commission is authorized to honor
businesses that have existed in this state providing employment and
supporting the Texas economy for 50 years or more with the Texas Treasure
Business Award.
(b) Definitions. The following words and terms shall
have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Award--Texas Treasure Business Award. A recipient
of the award as determined by the commission is a Texas Treasure Historic
Business.
(2) Continuous operation--A business that has continued
in operation without substantial interruption.
(3) Commission--The Texas Historical Commission and
its staff.
(4) Independent business--A business that is not a
unit of an affiliated business entity, chain, or franchise. An independent
business may be local, statewide, national, or multinational in scale.
(5) Texas business--A business that has its corporate
offices in Texas or is majority- owned by residents of Texas and operated
in Texas.
(6) Very similar type of business--Businesses with
closely related products or services, including those that evolved
with technology or the passage of time.
(7) Continuously owned by the same family--Business
ownership that has passed through family members related by blood,
marriage, or adoption.
(c) Eligibility. Texas businesses that have been in
continuous, for-profit operation in the State of Texas for at least
50 years may be nominated for the award. The operations, products,
or services offered at the time of the award nomination must be similar
and related to those provided during the 50 or more years prior to
the award. Nominated businesses must be considered by the Texas Comptroller
of Public Accounts to be in good standing with its franchise tax reports
and payments at the time of nomination to be considered for the award.
Additional recognition may be given to an eligible business with continuous
ownership by the same family; for a business operating in a historic
building with architectural integrity; or for a business operated
continuously for 75 years, 100 years, or 125 years.
(d) Nominations for the award may be made by any elected
state official or by any authorized representative of the business
being nominated.
(1) Nominations shall be made on a form established
by the commission.
(2) The commission may require supporting materials
that show evidence that the business has been continuously operating
in Texas for 50 or more years.
(3) Nominations for businesses wishing to be recognized
for additional criteria such as operating for 75 years, 100 years,
125 years or that wish to be recognized for having been continuously
owned by the same family for at least 50 years or operated in a historic
building with architectural integrity may be required to submit additional
documentation.
(4) Nominations shall be accepted by the commission
at any time during the year, however the commission may establish
periodic deadlines for evaluating nominations and announcing awards.
(5) The Commission may establish a processing fee to
offset the costs of the evaluation and awards.
(e) Evaluation. The Executive Director or his designee
will evaluate the completed nomination materials. The Executive Director
shall determine if the nominated business meets the criteria for the
award. The commission shall notify the nominated business of its determination
within 60 days of receiving complete nomination materials or at other
periodic intervals established by the commission.
(f) Award. Businesses selected for the award will receive
an award certificate or plaque and one or more window decals. The
commission may establish a fee for additional certificates, plaques,
or window decals.
(1) The commission shall notify the state senator and
state representative in whose districts a recipient's principal place
of business in this state is located.
(2) The commission, the recipient, and state senator
and state representative shall cooperate in determining the location
of the award presentation, if any.
(g) Use of logo. Texas Treasure Historic Businesses
are encouraged to display window decals provided by or acquired from
the commission on the recipient's place of business. Decals may be
displayed on multiple locations of the awarded business provided these
are locations of the same business operation named in the award.
(1) Texas Treasure Historic Businesses may use the
award logo in advertising, displays, signs, or on vehicles that are
part of the awarded businesses' named operation.
(2) Window decals or other display or use of the award
logo shall be utilized only by Texas Treasure Historic Businesses.
(3) The logo and term "Texas Treasure Historic Business"
shall be used in their complete format without alteration, unless
otherwise approved by the commission.
(4) The commission may establish additional requirements
for acceptable use of the logo.
(h) Changes to businesses after receipt of the award.
(1) A Texas Treasure Historic Business that receives
the award may continue to display the award, plaques or decals for
the same business after changes in ownership, operation or location
provided the business continues to operate with the same or a very
similar type of business and name.
(2) An affiliated business entity, if any, is not entitled
to utilize the award or logo for itself or other businesses it may
operate that have not specifically received the award.
|
