TRANSPORTATION CODE
CHAPTER 204. TRAVEL INFORMATION
§ 204.001. INFORMATION FOR PUBLIC; MAPS. (a) To
provide information relating to highway construction, repair, and
maintenance and to advertise and attract traffic to the highways of
this state, the department may prepare and publish for
distribution, in the manner and form the department considers best,
documents the department considers necessary and expedient to
publicize and provide information concerning:
(1) the highways of this state;
(2) public parks, recreational areas, scenic areas,
and other public places and objects of interest;
(3) distances;
(4) historical facts; and
(5) other matters of interest and value to the public
and highway users.
(b) The department periodically may prepare a map showing:
(1) the highways of this state; and
(2) municipalities and other places of interest served
by those highways.
(c) The department may distribute the documents and maps in
the manner and to the extent the department considers will best
serve the motoring public and highway users.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.002. CHARGE FOR MATERIALS. (a) The department
shall provide a single copy of a document or map distributed under
Section 204.001 without charge.
(b) The department by rule may:
(1) require payment for large quantities of the
material; and
(2) authorize distribution without charge of multiple
copies of the material if the distribution will maximize the
department's resources available to advertise the highways of this
state and promote travel to and within this state.
(c) Payment required under Subsection (b)(1) must be in an
amount sufficient to recover the department's direct and indirect
production costs. Money received by the department under this
section shall be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund
and used by the department to produce travel material. Section
403.095, Government Code, does not apply to money deposited under
this subsection.
(d) If this section conflicts with a license agreement
entered into under Section 201.205, the license agreement prevails
to the extent of that conflict.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.003. TRAVEL INFORMATION CENTERS. The department
shall maintain and operate travel information centers at the
principal gateways to this state to provide highway information,
travel guidance, and descriptive material designed to assist the
traveling public and stimulate travel to and within this state.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.004. PAYMENT OF COSTS. The department may pay
from highway revenues the cost, including the administration and
operation cost, of:
(1) developing, publishing, and distributing
material; and
(2) maintaining and operating travel information
centers.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.005. PURCHASE OF BROADCASTING AND PERIODICAL
ADVERTISING. The department may purchase advertising space in a
periodical of national circulation and time on a broadcasting
facility from money appropriated from the general revenue fund and
administered by the department for that specific purpose.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.006. CONTRACTS FOR ADVERTISING, MOVIES, AND
PHOTOGRAPHS. (a) The department may enter into a contract with:
(1) a recognized and financially responsible
advertising agency that has at least five years' experience
handling similar accounts for the contracting of space in
newspapers and periodicals for the publication of advertising
information, historical facts, statistics, and pictures that will
be useful and informative to persons outside this state; and
(2) motion picture producers and other persons for
making movies or taking photographs in this state and for the
showing of those movies and photographs.
(b) The department may join with another agency of this
state in publishing informational publicity material under this
section.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.007. PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS. (a) The department
may accept a contribution from a private source for a purpose under
Sections 204.001-204.006.
(b) The department may deposit the contribution in one or
more banks and use the contribution at its discretion according to
the contributor's wishes.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.008. PRODUCTION, MARKETING, AND DISTRIBUTION
CONTRACTS. (a) The department may contract with a private entity
to produce, market, and distribute material published under
Sections 204.001-204.006 on the terms, including terms providing
cost savings, the department considers beneficial to this state.
(b) A contract may:
(1) include cooperative strategies the department
considers to provide cost benefits; and
(2) provide for acceptance of paid advertising in the
material if the quality and quantity of the material are
maintained.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.009. SALE OF PROMOTIONAL ITEMS. (a) The
department may sell promotional items such as calendars, books,
prints, caps, light clothing, or other items approved by the
commission that advertise the resources of this state.
(b) All proceeds from the sale of the items shall be
deposited to the credit of the state highway fund for the
department's use in its travel and information operations.
(c) Section 403.095, Government Code, does not apply to
money deposited under this section.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.010. TRAVEL MAGAZINE. (a) The department shall
publish the official travel magazine of this state, "Texas
Highways."
(b) The department shall set subscription rates and other
charges for the magazine at a level that generates receipts
approximately sufficient to cover the cost of producing and
distributing the magazine.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
§ 204.011. SUBSCRIBER OR PURCHASER
INFORMATION. (a) Except as provided by this section or a rule
adopted by the commission under this section, the department may
not disclose to any person the name, address, telephone number,
social security account number, driver's license number, bank
account number, credit or debit card number, or charge account
number of a person who:
(1) is or has been a subscriber to "Texas Highways";
or
(2) has purchased from the department a promotional
item described by Section 204.009.
(b) Chapter 552, Government Code, does not apply to
subscriber or purchaser information described by Subsection (a).
(c) The commission by rule shall establish policies
relating to:
(1) the release of subscriber or purchaser
information;
(2) the use by the department of subscriber and
purchaser information; and
(3) the sale of a mailing list containing the names and
addresses of subscribers or purchasers.
(d) The policies must:
(1) include a method by which a subscriber or
purchaser may require the department to exclude information about
the person from a mailing list that is sold; and
(2) provide that subscriber or purchaser information
be disclosed to an agency of this state or the United States only if
that agency certifies that the information is necessary for the
performance of that agency's duties.
(e) The department is immune from civil or criminal
liability if the department unintentionally violates this section
or a rule adopted under this section.
(f) In this section, a reference to the department includes
an officer, employee, or agent of the department.
Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1276, § 16.001(a), eff. Sept.
1, 2003.
