Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(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.
