By: Patrick S.B. No. 877
(In the Senate - Filed February 27, 2013; March 5, 2013,
read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
Relations; March 25, 2013, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; March 25, 2013, sent to printer.)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to establishing the Citizens' Star of Texas Award.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 3106.001, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subdivision (4) to read as follows:
(4) "Next of kin" means the relative in the nearest
degree of relationship to a deceased person, including the person's
spouse, child, parent, or sibling.
SECTION 2. Chapter 3106, Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 3106.0041 to read as follows:
Sec. 3106.0041. CITIZENS' STAR OF TEXAS AWARD. (a) The
Citizens' Star of Texas Award shall be awarded to:
(1) a private citizen who is seriously injured while
aiding or attempting to aid a peace officer, firefighter, or
emergency medical first responder in the performance of the duties
of the officer, firefighter, or first responder; and
(2) the surviving next of kin of a private citizen who
is killed or sustains a fatal injury while aiding or attempting to
aid a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical first
responder in the performance of the duties of the officer,
firefighter, or first responder.
(b) The Peace Officers' Star of Texas Award Advisory
Committee under Section 3106.002, the Firefighters' Star of Texas
Award Advisory Committee under Section 3106.003, and the Emergency
Medical First Responders' Star of Texas Award Advisory Committee
under Section 3106.004, as applicable, shall advise the governor on
the issuance, design, and presentation of the Citizens' Star of
Texas Award.
SECTION 3. Section 3106.007, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 3106.007. RECOMMENDATION FOR AWARD. (a) Any person
who has personal knowledge that a peace officer, firefighter, or
emergency medical first responder has been killed or seriously
injured in the line of duty, or that a federal law enforcement
officer or special agent has been killed or seriously injured while
performing duties in this state to assist a state or local law
enforcement agency, may submit that information in writing to a
committee under this chapter.
(b) The head of an agency that employs a peace officer,
firefighter, or emergency medical first responder who has knowledge
of a private citizen described by Section 3106.0041(a) and a state
legislator representing the district in which the private citizen
resides may submit information about the private citizen in writing
to a committee under this chapter.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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