1-1     By:  Goolsby (Senate Sponsor - Harris)                H.B. No. 3517

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 1, 1997;

 1-3     May 2, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Administration; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to approval of monuments on the grounds of the state

 1-9     capitol.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Chapter 443, Government Code, is amended by

1-12     adding Section 443.015 to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 443.015.  CAPITOL GROUNDS MONUMENTS.  (a)  The board may

1-14     not approve the installation of a permanent monument on the grounds

1-15     under the jurisdiction of the board, and erection or construction

1-16     of an approved monument may not begin, unless the board or the

1-17     board's designee finds that the installation of the monument will

1-18     be complete not later than the fourth anniversary of the date on

1-19     which approval is granted.  Installation by that anniversary date

1-20     is a condition of the board's approval, and if installation is not

1-21     complete by that date the board's approval of the monument is

1-22     considered withdrawn and the monument may not be installed.

1-23           (b)  In this section, "monument" means a marker, memorial,

1-24     statue, or other commemoration of a person, organization, or event,

1-25     including one authorized or requested pursuant to legislative

1-26     resolution.

1-27           SECTION 2.  This Act applies to monuments approved by the

1-28     State Preservation Board before the effective date of this Act.

1-29     The installation of a monument approved by the board before the

1-30     effective date of this Act must be completed not later than the

1-31     fourth anniversary of the effective date of this Act or the board's

1-32     approval of the monument is considered withdrawn and the monument

1-33     may not be installed.

1-34           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-35     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-36     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-37     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-38     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-39     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-40     passage, and it is so enacted.

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