(a) Purpose. The State Preservation Board sets as its purpose to collect, preserve, protect, interpret, and maintain information on original or period objects of historical significance to the Capitol or the State of Texas, or appropriate to the early period of the Capitol's history (circa 1880-1920). The board will encourage study of its collections including publications concerning the objects, and will maintain the highest ethical standards in its interpretation of the collection.
(b) Types of collections.
  (1) It is recognized the Capitol is primarily a functioning building and not a museum. As a historic structure it is appropriately the repository for a limited number of original or period objects of the highest quality and significance to the history of the building or the State of Texas, or appropriate to the early period of the Capitol's history (circa 1880-1920).
  (2) Unlike museums, however, that are equipped and designed to maintain secondary research or exchange collections, the board will only maintain a primary Capitol collection including paintings, furnishings, sculpture, decorative arts, and other related artifacts. The board will acquire only artifacts that are appropriate to the purpose of the Capitol collections policy. Objects that do not meet the standards noted in paragraph (1) of this subsection may be referred to other state or appropriate depositories.
(c) Methods of acquisition.
  (1) The board shall acquire its collections through purchase, gift, bequest, or any other transaction consistent with applicable state or federal requirements by which title to objects is transferred to the board.
  (2) To the extent practicable, the board shall use gifts of property made to the board for the purpose specified by the grantor. The board may refuse a gift if in the board's judgment the purpose specified by the grantor conflicts with the goal of preserving the historic character of the buildings under the board's control. The office of the State Preservation Board will report to the board on new acquisitions and request the board's formal approval of the acquisitions at each meeting of the board.
  (3) The board may accept loans from individuals, institutions, organizations, or foundations only if they enhance the purposes and activities of the board. Loans will only be accepted for display or use in buildings or on grounds which are under the jurisdiction of the board. As a general rule, the board shall not approve the loan of items from the Capitol collection.
  (4) In addition, the board maintains the right to deaccession items from the collection. Only material that is no longer considered relevant or useful to the purposes of the board will be considered for deaccessioning.
  (5) To deviate from any of the policies will require the approval of the executive director of the State Preservation Board, curator of the Capitol, and the board.
(d) Care and documentation of collections.
  (1) The curator of the Capitol is responsible for the care of the collections. Appropriate maintenance, security, and conservation procedures shall be developed and followed.
  (2) Proper records on collected material, permanent or loan, shall be maintained by the curator of the Capitol, and a report to the board on the status of the collections will be made as requested.
(e) Capitol collections management manual.
  (1) A Capitol collections management manual in §111.18 of this title (relating to Capitol Collections Management Manual) shall be developed by the curator of the Capitol to effectively carry out the guidelines contained in the Capitol collections policy.
  (2) The collections management manual shall expand the contents of the collections policy by detailing specific procedures for acquisitions, deaccessions, and loans. Complete accessioning, cataloguing, care, and conservation procedures shall be outlined in the manual.
(f) Standards of conduct, other Capitol collections and related materials, revisions to the policy.
  (1) As a general policy, all parties shall adhere to the ethical guidelines recommended by the American Association of Museums. No member of the board, the office of the State Preservation Board, or any other individuals specified by the board shall personally receive, directly or indirectly, any favor, promise, or thing of value which could or appear to induce, discourage, or influence a recommendation, decision, or action affecting accessions, deaccessions, loans, exhibitions, or activities related to the Capitol collection. All parties shall demonstrate a good faith effort to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.
  (2) While the board does not have complete location control over certain historical artifacts used in legislative members' offices in the historic Capitol, all other aspects of the collections policy and collections management manual apply to all such artifacts.
  (3) Any revisions to the policy must be approved by the office of the State Preservation Board, and the board.
  (4) Upon recommendation of the curator of the Capitol and the executive director of the State Preservation Board, the board may approve exceptions to this policy.
(g) Items in the Capitol collection, unless on loan or in storage as provided under this chapter, shall be located in the Capitol, except that portraits originally identified with the supreme court or the court of criminal appeals initially displayed in the Capitol after 1915 shall be located, at the particular court's discretion, in the present quarters of the court to which the item is identified. An item located at the direction of a court remains part of the Capitol collection and is subject to preservation and protection by the board.

Source Note: The provisions of this §111.17 adopted to be effective January 12, 1989, 14 TexReg 56; amended to be effective April 12, 1994, 19 TexReg 2197; amended to be effective April 30, 2000, 25 TexReg 3525; amended to be effective July 1, 2012, 37 TexReg 4891