Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HCR69 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R5536 JGH-F
2	2	By: Cyrier H.C.R. No. 69
3	3
4	4
5	5	CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
6	6	WHEREAS, For more than 120 years, the enforcement officers of
7	7	the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and its predecessors have
8	8	patrolled the rivers, lakes, and coast of the Lone Star State,
9	9	playing a central role in safeguarding the public waters; and
10	10	WHEREAS, In 1895, the 24th Texas Legislature created the
11	11	office of Fish and Oyster Commissioner, and in 1899, the Fish and
12	12	Oyster Commission was given jurisdiction over all public waters,
13	13	including freshwater streams, lakes, and ponds; the agency
14	14	underwent several name changes over the years, becoming the Game,
15	15	Fish, and Oyster Commissioner in 1907, the Game, Fish, and Oyster
16	16	Commission in 1929, and the Game and Fish Commission in 1951, and
17	17	since 1963, it has been known as the Texas Parks and Wildlife
18	18	Department; and
19	19	WHEREAS, In 1965, the professionals now known as Texas game
20	20	wardens were tasked with promoting and enforcing water safety for
21	21	persons and property in all recreational waters of the state; since
22	22	1971, game wardens have been formally recognized as Texas peace
23	23	officers, and in 1997, the 75th Texas Legislature enacted House
24	24	Bill 966, which required all game wardens to be certified as marine
25	25	safety enforcement officers; in 2011, during the 82nd Legislative
26	26	Session, game wardens were designated as the primary officers
27	27	responsible for enforcing the provisions of the state's Water
28	28	Safety Act; and
29	29	WHEREAS, Today, game wardens patrol the public waters of
30	30	Texas to enforce hunting and fishing regulations and to promote
31	31	water safety; they have expanded their ranks from six officers in
32	32	1919 to more than 500, and TPWD's fleet has grown to include more
33	33	than 590 vessels, including two 65-foot patrol boats in the Gulf of
34	34	Mexico and 26 SAFE boats for use along the Gulf Coast; in 2013,
35	35	Texas game wardens were accredited by the National Association of
36	36	State Boating Law Administrators for their adherence to the U.S.
37	37	Coast Guard's national standards for training, qualifications, and
38	38	credentialing; and
39	39	WHEREAS, In addition, Texas game wardens play a crucial role
40	40	in homeland security and emergency management, including search,
41	41	rescue, and recovery efforts; in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
42	42	in 2005, they were the first out-of-state peace officers to be
43	43	deployed to New Orleans, where they were directly involved in the
44	44	rescue of 4,940 people from houses, apartments, and hospitals, and
45	45	during Hurricane Harvey, they rescued more than 12,000 Texans from
46	46	the storm's flood waters; in 2014, they took part in Operation
47	47	Strong Safety, a homeland security initiative along the
48	48	Texas-Mexico border; and
49	49	WHEREAS, The dedicated men and women who safeguard the public
50	50	waters of the Lone Star State for the use and enjoyment of present
51	51	and future generations truly deserve to be known, in the words of
52	52	former Governor George W. Bush, as our modern-day "Texas Navy," and
53	53	these individuals indeed merit recognition for their vital
54	54	contributions; now, therefore, be it
55	55	RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas
56	56	hereby recognize the game wardens of the Texas Parks and Wildlife
57	57	Department as the "Texas Navy" and commend them for their
58	58	outstanding work as maritime safety enforcement officers; and, be
59	59	it further
60	60	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
61	61	prepared for the TPWD as an expression of high regard by the Texas
62	62	House of Representatives and Senate.