Texas House
Standing Committee
House Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism
Oversees state parks, wildlife conservation, fishing and hunting regulation, cultural and historical resources, and tourism promotion across Texas.
Committee Leadership
Committee Composition
Committee Size
9 Members
Republicans
5
Democrats
4
Committee Partisan Split
5R – 4D
Committee Membership
Most Recent Session Activity
Metrics reflect activity during the most recent legislative session.
Legislation Referred
181
Legislation Voted Out
102
Overall Efficiency
56.35%
Committee Meetings
19
Interim Charges
- Monitoring: Monitor the implementation and associated rulemaking of all legislation passed by the Committee and enacted by the 89th Legislature to ensure that legislative purposes are properly implemented, including the following:
- HB 1397, relating to the care, custody, and display of the letter known as the victory or death letter, the Texas Constitution, and the Texas Declaration of Independence; and
- SB 3059, relating to the preservation, maintenance, restoration, and protection of the Alamo complex and surrounding area by the Alamo Commission.
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Funding: Evaluate the long-term sustainability of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Fund 9. Examine alternative or supplemental funding mechanisms to ensure stable funding for wildlife conservation, state parks, and agency operations.
- New World Screwworm Action Plan: Evaluate the preparedness of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to respond to the threat of New World screwworm to Texas’ wildlife populations. Examine staffing levels, funding, interagency coordination, and response protocols to ensure the state is adequately prepared for response and mitigation of outbreaks.
- Cultivated Oyster Mariculture: Evaluate the status of Texas’ oyster mariculture industry, including various challenges such as barriers to obtaining insurance, access to capital, the lack of in-state hatcheries, additional research needs, and market access. Consider the public benefits of sustainable oyster farming and long-term industry stability on water quality and coastal ecosystems. Make recommendations to support the expansion and advancement of oyster mariculture in Texas.
- Voluntary Commercial Oyster License Buyback: Study the current health of Texas’ wild oyster reefs along with the impact of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) voluntary Commercial Oyster Boat License Buyback Program. Review TPWD’s conservation strategy plans and determine whether additional state support is necessary to improve oyster habitat and achieve conservation goals.
- Livestock Shows, County Fairs, and Rodeos: Examine the economic, cultural, and educational contributions of local livestock shows, county fairs, and rodeos across Texas. Consider the role these events play in preserving the state’s agricultural heritage, supporting youth development programs, and promoting tourism and economic activity in rural and urban communities. Evaluate policy recommendations to promote these longstanding community institutions and enhance resilience in youth livestock exhibition programs and events.
- Agency Oversight: Pursuant to the broad oversight responsibilities granted to the Committee under Section 301.014, Government Code, and the House Rules of Procedure, monitor the agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction, including for fraud, waste, and abuse, where applicable. The jurisdiction of the Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Committee includes the following agencies:
- The Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office as it relates to the subject matter jurisdiction of the Committee;
- The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Compact;
- The Committee on the Formation of a Texas Bicentennial Commission;
- The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department;
- The Texas Commission on the Arts;
- The State Cemetery Committee;
- The Texas State Library and Archives Commission;
- The Texas Historical Commission;
- The State Preservation Board; and
- An office of state government to the extent the office promotes the Texas music industry.
Committee Jurisdiction
The committee shall have nine members, with jurisdiction over:
- The creation, operation, and control of state parks, including the development, maintenance, and operation of state parks in connection with the sales and use tax imposed on sporting goods, but not including any matter within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Appropriations.
- The regulation and control of the propagation and preservation of wildlife and fish in the state.
- The development and regulation of the fish and oyster industries of the state.
- Hunting and fishing in the state, and the regulation and control thereof, including the imposition of fees, fines, and penalties relating to that regulation.
- The regulation of other recreational activities.
- Cultural resources and their promotion, development, and regulation.
- Historical resources and their promotion, development, and regulation.
- Promotion and development of Texas’ image and heritage.
- Preservation and protection of Texas’ shrines, monuments, and memorials.
- International and interstate tourist promotion and development.
- The Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office as it relates to the subject-matter jurisdiction of this committee.
- The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Compact.
- The following state commissions and agencies: the Committee on the Formation of a Texas Bicentennial Commission, the Parks and Wildlife Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts, the State Cemetery Committee, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, the Texas Historical Commission, the State Preservation Board, and an office of state government to the extent the office promotes the Texas music industry.
Committee Contact Information
Capitol Location
Capitol Extension, E2.134
Phone Number
(512) 463-0974
Texas Policy Research relies on the support of generous donors across Texas.
If you found this information helpful, please consider supporting our efforts! Thank you!
