Texas Historical Commission Authority

Texas Government Code, Chapter 442, provides the enabling legislation for the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and defines its functions as an agency. THC is the only state agency authorized to establish, support and maintain museums and to administer the state’s heritage tourism and heritage trails programs.

The Texas music history community is a wealth of assets indigenous to the State of Texas. There are established museums, archives, libraries and dance halls; thousands of public and private collections with exquisite artifacts; and hundreds of families that have proliferated development of a music heritage tourism industry for more than a century. The privately held collections alone rival the asset base of the Library of Congress

The Museum of American Music History/Texas Music Hall of Fame® (MAMHTexas™) has sponsored a contingency of these music interests to direct development of music heritage tourism since the 78th Legislature (2003). After 15 years of legislative hearings and agency collaborations, the Texas Legislature recently adopted the MAMHTexas™ Plan of sanctioning music history entities under the authority of the Texas Historical Commission to administer a State program for music heritage tourism.

The MAMHTexas™ Plan, exquisitely detailed as a legislative directive, is memorialized in HB2079 as follows:

House Bill No. 2079 (Hunter)

Effective on 9/1/17 06/15/2017
Signed by the Governor 06/15/2017

AN ACT

Relating to the promotion of tourism related to the musical heritage of this state.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 442, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 442.0195 to read as follows:
Sec. 442.0195. TEXAS MUSIC HISTORY TRAIL

(a) The commission shall develop a Texas Music History Trail program to promote and preserve Texas music history.

(b) The program, at a minimum, shall include:

(1) designation of locations or organizations that are historically significant to this state’s musical heritage;
(2) adoption of an icon, symbol, or other identifying device to represent a designation under this section;
(3) the use of the icon, symbol, or other identifying device in promoting tourism around this state and at the locations or organizations designated under this section; and
(4) to the extent funds are available, the development of itineraries and maps to guide tourists to locations or organizations designated under this section.

Comprehensive Disclaimer: The Texas Music History Trail map above has been published and updated by MAMHTexas since 2002 as a pictorial rendering of potential subjects for the Heritage Tails Program identified as HB2079. However, it is not intended to demonstrate all of the potential subject matter to be considered, identified or sanctioned for inclusion in a State wide program. Those determinations are the logistics to be considered and organized by the Texas Historical Commission and the Texas music history community (void of any Texas Music Office input). In addition, any titles, names or other references to persons, organizations, locations and events, in the map, and/or any other areas of this web site, are for informational purposes only as educational content. Nothing in this site shall be construed to convey any rights to such information (by TMLRC) or any other relationships between any of the parties.