BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1677

By: Holland

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Police service animals are highly trained service animals that are partnered with law enforcement officers. These animals are essential to many police organizations and serve as watchful and sensitive guardians for their handlers and members of the public, with some of these animals even dying in the line of duty to protect human life. Despite the brave service of these animals, there is a lack of recognition on the Capitol grounds for such animals killed in the line of duty. Police service animals are an essential part of law enforcement and should be honored and remembered as such. C.S.H.B. 1677 seeks to address this issue by providing for the establishment of a Texas Police Service Animals Memorial Monument on the grounds of the Capitol Complex in order to recognize and honor these heroic animals.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1677 amends the Government Code to require the State Preservation Board (SPB), subject to provisions relating to Capitol grounds monuments, to establish a Texas Police Service Animals Memorial Monument, using SPB approval procedures, on the grounds of the Capitol Complex adjacent to the Texas Peace Officers' Memorial Monument to recognize and honor police service animals that were killed in the line of duty.

C.S.H.B. 1677 does the following with regard to the Texas Police Service Animals Memorial Monument:

· makes SPB responsible for its maintenance and requires SPB to establish a maintenance schedule and select persons to perform the maintenance;

· authorizes SPB to receive money from private entities for its continued maintenance and updates;

· provides for SPB's deposit of certain contributions and collected funds in the Capitol fund to the credit of a separate interest-bearing account established for the monument and for the deposit of related investment income to the account's credit; and

· restricts use of money in the account established for the monument to maintenance purposes.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1677 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute does not include a definition for "committee" and includes a definition for "Capitol Complex."

The substitute subjects the requirement for SPB to establish the monument to provisions relating to Capitol grounds monuments and specifies the use of SPB approval procedures in establishing the monument.

The substitute does not include a provision authorizing SPB to raise money from private or public entities for the monument's continued maintenance and update but the substitute includes a provision that authorizes SPB to receive money from private entities for that purpose.