By Kubiak H.R. No. 1097 75R13557 SAJ-F R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Lone Star State enjoys a rich and proud history 1-2 that encompasses a variety of cultural and ethnic heritages; and 1-3 WHEREAS, The many individuals who helped form our past were 1-4 laid to rest in now-historic cemeteries in communities, homesteads, 1-5 and churchyards across the state; and 1-6 WHEREAS, Thousands of these cemeteries, particularly those in 1-7 rural areas, are located on private property owned by individuals 1-8 who have no relationship to those interred there, and many of the 1-9 cemeteries are now in an imperiled condition; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Texas law allows interested citizens and descendants 1-11 of individuals buried in historic cemeteries to visit these sites 1-12 and maintain them, but inaccessibility, inconvenience, or lack of 1-13 public awareness concerning the issues of cemetery visitation often 1-14 prevents these actions from occurring; and 1-15 WHEREAS, In 1994, Save Texas Cemeteries, Inc., was organized 1-16 as a nonprofit educational corporation to enhance knowledge of the 1-17 importance of preserving historic Texas cemeteries; and 1-18 WHEREAS, An essential element of this goal is the provision 1-19 of guaranteed access to all cemeteries in the state; towards this 1-20 end, the first Sundays in April and October should be set aside 1-21 annually as dates of visitation to Texas cemeteries; and 1-22 WHEREAS, The members of this chamber endorse this important 1-23 initiative in hope of fostering a greater understanding of our 1-24 state's rich legacy, especially as it exists in thousands of 2-1 historic cemeteries; now, therefore, be it 2-2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-3 Legislature hereby recognize the annual observance of the first 2-4 Sundays in April and October as Texas Cemetery Visitation Days, to 2-5 be known as Texas Cemeteries: A Bridge to the Past, and encourage 2-6 all Texans to participate in this worthy effort.