Section 8.4 - Access to State Buildings(a) Public access. Public access to state buildings is generally unlimited. However, nothing in this chapter shall be understood as permitting the use of any public building, in any manner whatsoever, when such use is for a commercial purpose. (b) Admission to state buildings. The public portions of state buildings are generally open to the public at all times, with the general exception of Saturdays, Sundays, state holidays, and from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. on working days. Access to state buildings during the times they are not open to the public shall be by building pass card, electronic security access card, special permission, or emergency admission. (1) Building pass cards and electronic security access cards. The chief executive of each agency, in the state building referenced in this subsection, shall be responsible for the control of building pass cards and electronic security access cards issued for their agency. The chief executive may delegate this responsibility to another person(s) in the agency, provided that the Capitol Regional Command Office is notified in writing of the name(s) with a sample of designees' signatures. Agency designees may not appoint other agency designees. (2) Card application. Applications for such cards must be signed by the agency designee and completed by the employee. The employee will submit the application in person; or the agency designee may submit electronically through the designees approved and authorized state email address to the Capitol Regional Command Office for issuance. No card will be issued unless the application is complete and signed by the agency designee or submitted through the approved state email address on file for the designee. An employee may have both a building pass card and an electronic security access card. When this occurs, separate applications will be required. The electronic security access card is not a building pass card and will not be accepted in any other location other than the location for which it was issued. (3) Agency designee. It is the responsibility of the agency designee to notify the Capitol Regional Command Office immediately of any termination of the employee. The agency designee shall return the employee's cards to the Capitol Regional Command Office. (4) Special permission. Special permission is communicated by an appropriate public official or his representative to the Capitol Regional Command Office specifically approving one-time admission to a named individual. Such authorization should be in writing. (5) Emergency admission. Emergency admission is solely within the discretion of the officer on duty, and such officer must accompany the admitted individual at all times while he or she is in the building. (6) Recovery of costs for access cards. The department may recover the cost of materials and services rendered for the issuance of a new or replacement electronic security access card. (c) Building register (admission log). A building register for each building shall be kept for the times it is closed to the public, and each person entering the building, except those entering with an electronic security access card, must complete the information called for in the register.37 Tex. Admin. Code § 8.4
Adopted by Texas Register, Volume 40, Number 02, January 9, 2015, TexReg 248, eff. 1/12/2015