(a) Mission Statement.
  (1) The gift shops will offer visitors items related to the Capitol, state government and the state of Texas (its history, its land, and its heritage). It is the goal of the Capitol Gift shops to further the educational mission of both the State Preservation Board and the Capitol Visitors Center. In accordance with that mission, preference will be given to products with an educational focus.
  (2) It is the goal of the Capitol Gift shops to feature products produced in Texas by Texans. All other criteria being equal, preference will be given to Texas-made products.
  (3) Net revenue from the gift shops will subsidize the administrative operations of the retail operation, the continued Capitol preservation efforts, and the agency's educational programming.
(b) Criteria for Product Selection.
  (1) The gift shop manager will review products and make final determinations regarding the procurement of products for the retail operations. All products submitted for consideration in the gift shop are subject to review by product selection committee at the direction of the gift shop manager. The product selection committee is comprised of gift shop and agency managerial staff. Products will be selected based upon a review of the following criteria:
    (A) compatibility with the mission statement;
    (B) quality;
    (C) value;
    (D) uniqueness;
    (E) presentation;
    (F) visual appeal;
    (G) demonstrated marketability; and
    (H) quality in packaging.
  (2) All items must reflect the mission of the agency and its statutory responsibilities.
  (3) The gift shops will not carry products that promote any specific Texas town, city, or region; any institution of higher education; or any professional sports team.
  (4) The gift shops will carry only periodical reading materials with a circulation over 100,000. The focus of these periodicals will reflect the state of Texas, except under unusual circumstances. Topics of the periodicals include government, the economy, travel, sports and leisure, lifestyle and gracious living, and current events.
  (5) All products must achieve an acceptable level of sales activity within three months of receipt of order to be considered for continued representation in the gift shop.
  (6) Items must be able to be produced and shipped quickly in reasonable quantities for resale.
  (7) When comparing similar products with other criteria being equal, the lowest wholesale cost will be the determining factor.
(c) The gift shop manager's decision regarding acceptance or non-acceptance of any item to be sold in the gift shop is final.

Source Note: The provisions of this §111.29 adopted to be effective April 4, 1996, 21 TexReg 2644; amended to be effective April 30, 2000, 25 TexReg 3529