BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3644

By: Ashby

Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are numerous monuments decorating the grounds of the State Capitol in Austin that honor groups such as the Texas National Guard, volunteer firemen, and peace officers. However, it has been noted that there is currently no monument on the capitol grounds dedicated to emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. C.S.H.B. 3644 seeks to memorialize these public servants who have died in the line of duty, such as Mike Howard of Leon County, and provide a place for their families to honor them, by authorizing the State Preservation Board to establish an appropriate memorial monument on the capitol grounds dedicated to EMS personnel in Texas.

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. 3644 amends the Government Code to authorize the State Preservation Board (SPB) to approve and establish an appropriate memorial monument on the State Capitol grounds dedicated to emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in Texas. SPB may only use private contributions made for a purpose related to the monument to create, establish, and perpetually maintain the monument.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3644 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 changes the requirement for the State Cemetery Committee to erect a monument dedicated to EMS personnel in the State Cemetery to an authorization for SPB instead to approve and establish such a monument on the State Capitol grounds through the use of private contributions.