By:  Greenberg                                         H.B. No. 555
       73R909 JRD-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the construction of a memorial statue on the Capitol
    1-3  grounds to honor Texas pioneer women.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 443, Government Code, is amended by
    1-6  adding Section 443.0141 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 443.0141.  TEXAS PIONEER WOMEN'S MEMORIAL STATUE.   (a)
    1-8  The board shall provide for the construction on the Capitol grounds
    1-9  of a memorial statue to honor Texas pioneer women of every race,
   1-10  color, creed, and national origin who served Texas in capacities
   1-11  such as wife, mother, homemaker, educator, historian, artist,
   1-12  preservationist, businesswoman, landowner, political activist, and
   1-13  civic leader.
   1-14        (b)  The board shall invite the Daughters of the Republic of
   1-15  Texas, Inc., District VIII, to establish an advisory committee to
   1-16  advise the board on all matters relating to the construction,
   1-17  dedication, and maintenance of the statue, including:
   1-18              (1)  site selection;
   1-19              (2)  fund-raising from private sources;
   1-20              (3)  establishing a schedule for the design,
   1-21  construction, and dedication of the statue;
   1-22              (4)  procedures for soliciting designs for the statue;
   1-23              (5)  selecting the final design of the statue;
   1-24              (6)  procedures for selecting a contractor to construct
    2-1  the statue;
    2-2              (7)  selecting the contractor to construct the statue;
    2-3  and
    2-4              (8)  reviewing and monitoring the design and
    2-5  construction process.
    2-6        (c)  Money and securities donated to the board for the statue
    2-7  shall be credited to an account in the Capitol fund established for
    2-8  the statue.  Disbursements from the account may be made only for
    2-9  purposes related to the statue, including design, construction,
   2-10  dedication, and maintenance.
   2-11        (d)  The design of the statue must be compatible in scale,
   2-12  proportion, materials, and feeling with the early monuments erected
   2-13  on the Capitol grounds.
   2-14        (e)  The board shall invite the Daughters of the Republic of
   2-15  Texas, Inc., District VIII, to conduct the dedication ceremonies
   2-16  for the statue under guidelines established by the board.  The
   2-17  secretary of state shall publish the date of the dedication
   2-18  ceremonies in the Texas Register at least 30 days before the date
   2-19  of the ceremonies.  The board shall timely inform the secretary of
   2-20  the date.
   2-21        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-22  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-23  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-24  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-25  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-26  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-27  passage, and it is so enacted.