Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB667 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	S.B. No. 667
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to establishing a state historical marker program to honor
6	6	African Americans who served in the Texas Legislature during
7	7	Reconstruction.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Texas Black
10	10	Reconstruction Legislators Recognition Act.
11	11	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 442, Government Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 442.0061 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 442.0061. STATE HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM TO HONOR
14	14	AFRICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATORS. (a) The commission shall establish
15	15	and administer a state historical marker program to honor African
16	16	Americans who served in the Texas Legislature between 1870 and
17	17	1875, during the 12th, 13th, or 14th Legislative Session.
18	18	(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the commission
19	19	shall install a historical marker at or as near as practicable to
20	20	the grave of each former member of the Texas Legislature described
21	21	by Subsection (a) in consultation with the:
22	22	(1) county historical commission established under
23	23	Chapter 318, Local Government Code, for the county in which the
24	24	grave is located; and
25	25	(2) cemetery association or other entity that manages
26	26	the cemetery in which the grave is located.
27	27	(c) If the former member's place of burial is unknown or the
28	28	commission determines that placement of a historical marker at the
29	29	former member's place of burial is inappropriate, the commission,
30	30	in consultation with the county historical commission established
31	31	under Chapter 318, Local Government Code, for each county
32	32	represented by the former member, shall install a historical marker
33	33	at an appropriate place within the boundaries of the counties
34	34	represented by the former member.
35	35	(d) Historical markers installed under this section must:
36	36	(1) have the same form, dimensions, and illustrations
37	37	as a large Official Texas Historical Marker described by Section
38	38	442.006(c) except that the markers must also include the state seal
39	39	at the bottom of the markers; and
40	40	(2) include text that reads:
41	41	"FOLLOWING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR AND EMANCIPATION OF SLAVES
42	42	IN 1865, IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1871 THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS IN TEXAS WERE
43	43	ABLE TO UNIFORMLY REGISTER TO VOTE, FOLLOWING THE RATIFICATION OF
44	44	THE 15TH AMENDMENT TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION.
45	45	"WHILE AFRICAN AMERICANS SERVED AS DELEGATES TO STATE
46	46	CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS PRIOR TO 1870, THE FIRST AFRICAN
47	47	AMERICANS ELECTED TO SERVE IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE WERE ELECTED TO
48	48	THE 12TH LEGISLATURE, WHICH CONVENED IN PROVISIONAL SESSION ON
49	49	FEBRUARY 8, 1870.
50	50	"PRIOR TO THE END OF FEDERAL RECONSTRUCTION IN 1870, TWELVE
51	51	AFRICAN AMERICANS SERVED IN THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND
52	52	TWO SERVED IN THE TEXAS SENATE.
53	53	"THIS MARKER IS ERECTED IN HONOR OF:
54	54	"(FIRST NAME, MIDDLE INITIAL, AND SURNAME OF THE FORMER
55	55	MEMBER) (THE CHAMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE IN WHICH THE FORMER
56	56	MEMBER SERVED AND THE LEGISLATURE DURING WHICH THE FORMER MEMBER
57	57	SERVED) (THE FORMER MEMBER'S DATE OF BIRTH OR "UNKNOWN," AS
58	58	APPLICABLE) (THE FORMER MEMBER'S DATE OF DEATH) (EACH COUNTY
59	59	REPRESENTED BY THE FORMER MEMBER)
60	60	"ERECTED BY THE 88TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE AND THE TEXAS
61	61	HISTORICAL COMMISSION AS AUTHORIZED BY (NUMBER OF THE BILL PASSED
62	62	BY THE 88TH LEGISLATURE AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE
63	63	HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM HONORING AFRICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATORS)"
64	64	(e) The commission may seek assistance from other state and
65	65	local governmental entities in carrying out the commission's duties
66	66	under this section.
67	67	(f) The commission may seek and accept gifts, grants, and
68	68	donations from public or private sources, including seeking
69	69	available federal funds, to accomplish the purposes of this
70	70	section.
71	71	SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2025, the Texas
72	72	Historical Commission shall install the historical markers
73	73	required by Section 442.0061, Government Code, as added by this
74	74	Act.
75	75	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
76	76	______________________________ ______________________________
77	77	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
78	78	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 667 passed the Senate on
79	79	April 12, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
80	80	______________________________
81	81	Secretary of the Senate
82	82	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 667 passed the House on
83	83	May 24, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 132, Nays 6,
84	84	one present not voting.
85	85	______________________________
86	86	Chief Clerk of the House
87	87	Approved:
88	88	______________________________
89	89	Date
90	90	______________________________
91	91	Governor