By: Whitmire, et al. S.B. No. 1975
(Pickett)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to establishing the Texas Peace Officers' Memorial
Ceremony Committee to recognize and honor peace officers who were
killed in the line of duty.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 3105, Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
CHAPTER 3105. TEXAS PEACE OFFICERS' MEMORIAL MONUMENT AND CEREMONY
SECTION 2. Section 3105.002, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subdivision (2-a) to read as follows:
(2-a) "Committee" means the Texas Peace Officers'
Memorial Ceremony Committee.
SECTION 3. Section 3105.005(c), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(c) Money in the account may be used only for the purposes
prescribed by Section 3105.004 [this chapter].
SECTION 4. Chapter 3105, Government Code, is amended by
adding Sections 3105.006 and 3105.007 to read as follows:
Sec. 3105.006. TEXAS PEACE OFFICERS' MEMORIAL CEREMONY
COMMITTEE. (a) The committee is established to plan, oversee, and
facilitate annual ceremonies recognizing and honoring peace
officers of this state who were killed in the line of duty.
(b) The committee consists of the following members:
(1) a president, or the president's designee, of any
law enforcement organization that:
(A) provides full service legal and political
representation to law enforcement officers of this state;
(B) has at least 10,000 members paying dues, as
provided by the organization's Internal Revenue Service Form 990
for the previous reporting period;
(C) has complied with all filing requirements of
the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Department of
Labor, and the secretary of state; and
(D) has an elected board of directors;
(2) a surviving spouse of a peace officer killed in the
line of duty selected by the chapters of the Concerns of Police
Survivors of this state; and
(3) the following nonvoting members or designees of
the members:
(A) the governor;
(B) the lieutenant governor;
(C) the speaker of the house of representatives;
(D) the attorney general;
(E) the director of the Department of Public
Safety;
(F) the executive director of the board; and
(G) the executive director of the commission.
Sec. 3105.007. TEXAS PEACE OFFICERS' MEMORIAL CEREMONY.
(a) The committee shall meet as necessary to plan and coordinate
an annual memorial ceremony on the Capitol grounds to honor Texas
peace officers who were killed in the line of duty.
(b) The committee shall hold the ceremony on a date selected
by the committee during the week in which May 8 occurs.
(c) The ceremony may be funded by public or private money.
(d) Each odd-numbered year, the ceremony must include:
(1) a parade of law enforcement color guards and
personnel ending at the Capitol; and
(2) a ceremony held during a joint session of the
legislature on the floor of the house of representatives, if
possible.
(e) During the ceremony under this section, the name of each
peace officer who is being added to the monument that year must be
read and the surviving family members of the peace officer must be
recognized.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.