BILL ANALYSIS


                                                          S.B. 21
                                                   By: Armbrister
                                                    State Affairs
                                                         04-25-95
                                     Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND

Currently, Texans eligible for burial in the state cemetery must
have been elected to state office, appointed and confirmed to a
state board, approved by gubernatorial proclamation or accepted by
a majority in both the Texas House and Senate.

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 21 includes certain property to be dedicated for
cemetary purposes as part of the state cemetery and certain persons
among the persons eligible for burial in the state cemetery.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

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

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 4.10, Article 601b, V.T.C.S. (State
Purchasing and General Services Act), by amending Subsections (b)
and (c) and by adding Subsections (a-1) and (b-1), as follows:

     (a-1)  Sets forth the property, in addition to the property
     described as Lot No. 5,  which is to be dedicated for cemetery
     purposes as part of the State Cemetery.
     
     (b)  Sets forth the persons eligible for burial in the State
     Cemetery.
     
     (b-1)  Requires the Texas Historical Commission (commission)
     to review proclamations under Subsection (b)(4) of this
     section and resolutions under Subsection (b)(5) of this
     section.  Provides that a person specified in a proclamation
     or resolution is eligible for burial in the State Cemetery
     only if the commission, following its review, finds that the
     person specified made a significant contribution to Texas
     history and only if based on that finding the commission
     approves the person's burial in the cemetery.  Authorizes the
     commission to, by order, authorize a burial under Subsection
     (b)(6) of this section only during a period in which the
     legislature is not convened in regular or special session and
     only if the commission finds that the person made a
     significant contribution to Texas history.
     
     (c)  Prohibits the size of a grave plot from being longer than
     eight feet or wider than three feet, rather than five feet,
     times the number of persons of one family authorized hereunder
     to be buried alongside one another.
     
     SECTION 2.     (a)  Requires the commission to undertake a study of the
persons eligible under law for burial in the State Cemetery and
make recommendations to the 75th Legislature concerning the persons
eligible.  Requires the commission to consider in particular
whether persons who have made significant contributions to Texas
history in the fields of business, literature, arts, or science
should be included in the list of eligible persons.

     (b)  Provides that this section expires January 1, 1997.
SECTION 3. Makes application of Section 4.10(b)(3), Article 601b,
V.T.C.S., as added by this Act, prospective.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.
           Effective date: upon passage.