Sec. 5007.219. PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT FUND. (a) In this section, "promotion and development fund" means a fund created and managed under Subchapter H, Chapter 60, Water Code.

(b) The port commission shall adopt clear, complete policy and procedures to govern the use of the promotion and development fund. The policy and procedures must include:

(1) provisions limiting acceptable uses of promotion and development fund money to uses with a direct tie to the mission of the authority;

(2) a consistent budget process;

(3) a process for requesting sponsorship funds by port commissioners, authority employees, and outside groups;

(4) an approval process for each type of expenditure from the promotion and development fund, including:

(A) the level of approval or notification required for authority employees, applicable task forces, and the port commission; and

(B) a requirement that each approved expenditure must include a description of:

(i) the expected impact of the expenditure; and

(ii) how the expenditure is consistent with the strategic direction for promotion and development fund money as adopted by the port commission;

(5) a procedure for handling exceptions to the policy, including a requirement that an exception be subject to the same reporting requirements as other approved expenditures from the promotion and development fund;

(6) a provision for evaluating the policy's effectiveness and having the port commission adopt updates to the policy as needed at regularly scheduled public meetings; and

(7) requirements for regular tracking of all expenditures from the promotion and development fund and reporting of the expenditures to the port commission and to the public by making the reports available on the authority's website.

(c) A report described by Subsection (b)(7) must include detailed information about:

(1) travel by port commissioners;

(2) special uses of the authority's resources, including the use of any public tour vessels and the associated costs, sorted by authority division;

(3) sponsorship and similar spending; and

(4) total expenditures from the promotion and development fund, including year-to-date summary information by category of expenditure.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 139 (H.B. 1642), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2013.