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eXpendit

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Restricted Expenditures — Misuse of State Money or Property
Plants

Indoor plants

A state agency may not use appropriated money to purchase, lease or maintain a live or artificial indoor plant unless:

  • The agency is an institution of higher education, and
  • The plant is used for educational or research purposes.

Source [+]

Texas Government Code Section 2113.105.

Xeriscaping

The Texas Facilities Commission (TFC) provides guidelines for the required use of xeriscaping on state properties associated with the construction of a new state building, structure or facility.

Definitions

Appropriated money
Money appropriated by the Legislature through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) or other law. (Texas Government Code Section 2113.001(1))
State agency
  • A department, commission, board, office or other entity in the executive branch of state government.
  • The Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, another entity in the judicial branch of state government with statewide authority or a court of appeals.
  • A university system or an institution of higher education as defined by Texas Education Code Section 61.003, except a public junior college, which is excluded from the meaning of the term. (Texas Government Code Section 2151.002)
Xeriscaping
A landscaping method that maximizes the conservation of water by using site-appropriate plants and techniques for efficient use of water. It includes planning and design, the appropriate choice of plants, soil analysis and improvement using compost, efficient irrigation, practical use of mulch and turf and proper maintenance. (Texas Government Code Section 2166.404(d))

Source [+]

Texas Government Code Section 2166.404(a)–(b).

Documentation Requirements [+]

  1. If a state agency’s purchase voucher includes the purchase or rental of an indoor plant or the purchase of goods or services to maintain an indoor plant, the agency, upon request, must make available to the Comptroller's office during a pre-payment or post-payment audit, documentation showing how the plant was, is or will be used.