| 1 | 1 | | By: Patrick S.B. No. 877 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | (Guillen, Flynn) |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to establishing the Citizens' Star of Texas Award. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 3106.001, Government Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | adding Subdivision (4) to read as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | (4) "Next of kin" means the relative in the nearest |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | degree of relationship to a deceased person, including the person's |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | spouse, child, parent, or sibling. |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 3106, Government Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | adding Section 3106.0041 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 3106.0041. CITIZENS' STAR OF TEXAS AWARD. (a) The |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | Citizens' Star of Texas Award shall be awarded to: |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (1) a private citizen who is seriously injured while |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | aiding or attempting to aid a peace officer, firefighter, or |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | emergency medical first responder in the performance of the duties |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | of the officer, firefighter, or first responder; and |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (2) the surviving next of kin of a private citizen who |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | is killed or sustains a fatal injury while aiding or attempting to |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | aid a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical first |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | responder in the performance of the duties of the officer, |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | firefighter, or first responder. |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (b) The Peace Officers' Star of Texas Award Advisory |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | Committee under Section 3106.002, the Firefighters' Star of Texas |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | Award Advisory Committee under Section 3106.003, and the Emergency |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | Medical First Responders' Star of Texas Award Advisory Committee |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | under Section 3106.004, as applicable, shall advise the governor on |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | the issuance, design, and presentation of the Citizens' Star of |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | Texas Award. |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 3. Section 3106.007, Government Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | Sec. 3106.007. RECOMMENDATION FOR AWARD. (a) Any person |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | who has personal knowledge that a peace officer, firefighter, or |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | emergency medical first responder has been killed or seriously |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | injured in the line of duty, or that a federal law enforcement |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | officer or special agent has been killed or seriously injured while |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | performing duties in this state to assist a state or local law |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | enforcement agency, may submit that information in writing to a |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | committee under this chapter. |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (b) The head of an agency that employs a peace officer, |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | firefighter, or emergency medical first responder who has knowledge |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | of a private citizen described by Section 3106.0041(a) and a state |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | legislator representing the district in which the private citizen |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | resides may submit information about the private citizen in writing |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | to a committee under this chapter. |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
|---|