1-1     By:  Culberson (Senate Sponsor - Lindsay)             H.B. No. 2997
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 1999;
 1-3     May 12, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on State
 1-4     Affairs; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the recognition of certain symbols of the State of
 1-9     Texas and to the designation of various recognition days.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subsection (d), Article 6139a, Revised Statutes,
1-12     is amended to read as follows:
1-13           (d)  The red and blue colors of the state flag are the same
1-14     colors used in the United States flag and are defined as numbers
1-15     193 [80108] (red) and 281 [80075] (dark blue) of the Pantone
1-16     Matching System [The Standard Color Reference of America, 10th
1-17     edition].
1-18           SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Article 6139b, Revised Statutes,
1-19     is amended to read as follows:
1-20           (b)  The pledge of allegiance to the state flag should be
1-21     rendered by all present except those in uniform by standing at
1-22     attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.
1-23     Individuals who are not in uniform and who are wearing a headdress
1-24     that is easily removeable should remove their headdress with their
1-25     right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, with the hand over the
1-26     heart.  Individuals in uniform should remain silent, face the flag,
1-27     and render the military salute.  Individuals who are not citizens
1-28     of this state should remain silent and stand at attention.
1-29           SECTION 3.  Sections 3(d) and (s), Article 6139c, Revised
1-30     Statutes, are amended to read as follows:
1-31           (d)  The state flag should be displayed on all state and
1-32     national holidays and on special occasions of historical
1-33     significance.  Texas Flag Day shall be celebrated on March 2, Texas
1-34     Independence Day.
1-35           (s)  The state flag, when flown at half-staff, should be
1-36     first hoisted to the peak of the flagpole for an instant and then
1-37     lowered to the half-staff position.  The state flag should be again
1-38     raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day.  On Memorial
1-39     Day the state flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon
1-40     only, then raised to the peak of the flagpole.  The state flag
1-41     should be displayed at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day
1-42     (May 15), unless that day is also Armed Forces Day.  By order of
1-43     the governor, the state flag shall be flown at half-staff on the
1-44     death of an individual as a mark of respect to the individual's
1-45     memory.
1-46           SECTION 4.  Article 6139d, Revised Statutes, is amended to
1-47     read as follows:
1-48           Art. 6139d.  FLAG OF THE GOVERNOR.  (a)  The flag of the
1-49     governor is the 1839 pilot flag of the Republic of Texas.
1-50           (b)  The flag of the governor consists of a rectangle with a
1-51     width-to-length ratio of two to three containing:
1-52                 (1)  one white horizontal stripe and one red horizontal
1-53     stripe, each constituting one-fourth of the entire width of the
1-54     flag, and one blue horizontal stripe constituting one-half the
1-55     entire width of the flag, arranged with white at the top, blue in
1-56     the middle, and red at the bottom; and
1-57                 (2)  a white, regular five-pointed star in the center
1-58     of the blue stripe, oriented so that one point of the star points
1-59     directly upward, and of a size that the diameter of a circle
1-60     passing through the five points of the star is equal to
1-61     three-fourths of the width of the blue stripe.
1-62           (c)  The red and blue colors of the flag of the governor are
1-63     the same colors used in the state flag.
1-64           (d)  When displayed permanently mounted on a staff, as for
 2-1     indoor or parade use, the flag of the governor may be decorated
 2-2     with gold fringe and the staff may be decorated with gold cords and
 2-3     tassels.
 2-4           (e)  When the flag of the governor is displayed on a staff,
 2-5     the staff should be at least 2-1/2 times as long as the flag's
 2-6     hoist, and the flag should be attached to the staff's peak.  The
 2-7     staff's finial should be either a lone star or a spearhead.
 2-8           (f)  The governor may prescribe any changes relating to the
 2-9     description or display of the flag of the governor that the
2-10     governor considers appropriate.  [The governor may adopt a flag for
2-11     the governor's official use.]  The governor shall set forth any
2-12     changes [the description of the flag] in an executive order
2-13     published in the Texas Register.
2-14           SECTION 5.  Title 106, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
2-15     Article 6139g to read as follows:
2-16           Art. 6139g.  STATE MOTTO.  The state motto is "Friendship."
2-17           SECTION 6.  Title 106, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
2-18     Article 6139h to read as follows:
2-19           Art. 6139h.  STATE BIRD.  The state bird is the mockingbird.
2-20           SECTION 7.  Title 106, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
2-21     Article 6139i to read as follows:
2-22           Art. 6139i.  STATE FLOWER.  The state flower is the
2-23     bluebonnet.
2-24           SECTION 8.  Article 6143, Revised Statutes, is renumbered and
2-25     amended to read as follows:
2-26           Art. 6139j [6143].  STATE TREE.  The state tree is the pecan
2-27     tree [Pecan Tree shall be the State tree of Texas and it shall be
2-28     the duty of the State Board of Control and the State Parks Board to
2-29     give due consideration to the Pecan Tree when planning
2-30     beautification of State Parks or other public property belonging to
2-31     the State].
2-32           SECTION 9.  Subchapter C, Chapter 662, Government Code, is
2-33     amended by adding Sections 662.046-662.049 to read as follows:
2-34           Sec. 662.046.  LAMAR DAY.  (a)  January 26 is Lamar Day in
2-35     memory of Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic
2-36     of Texas and the father of Texas education.
2-37           (b)  Lamar Day shall be regularly observed by appropriate
2-38     programs in the public schools and other places to commemorate the
2-39     Act of January 26, 1839, first proposed by President Lamar, that
2-40     set aside land for public schools and two universities.
2-41           Sec. 662.047.  SAM HOUSTON DAY.  (a)  March 2 is Sam Houston
2-42     Day in memory of Sam Houston, the hero of San Jacinto, first
2-43     president of the Republic of Texas, United States senator, and
2-44     governor of Texas.
2-45           (b)  Sam Houston Day shall be regularly observed by
2-46     appropriate programs in the public schools and other places to
2-47     commemorate General Houston's victory at San Jacinto.
2-48           Sec. 662.048.  ALAMO HEROES DAY.  (a)  March 6 is Alamo
2-49     Heroes Day in memory of James Bowie, David Crockett, William B.
2-50     Travis, and the other brave Texans who for 13 fateful days defended
2-51     the Alamo.
2-52           (b)  Alamo Heroes Day shall be regularly observed by
2-53     appropriate and patriotic programs in the public schools and other
2-54     places to honor the memory of the valiant men who gave their lives
2-55     for Texas independence.
2-56           Sec. 662.049.  LORENZO DE ZAVALA DAY.  (a)  October 3 is
2-57     Lorenzo de Zavala Day in memory of Manuel Lorenzo Justiniano de
2-58     Zavala y Saenz, first vice president of the Republic of Texas,
2-59     drafter of the Constitution of the Republic of Texas, newspaper
2-60     editor, physician, member of the Spanish Cortes, Mexican deputy and
2-61     senator, governor of the state of Mexico, Mexican minister of the
2-62     treasury, Texas empresario, Mexican minister to France, member of
2-63     the Texas 1835 Permanent Council, and representative from
2-64     Harrisburg in the Texas 1835 Consultation and the Convention of
2-65     1836.
2-66           (b)  Lorenzo de Zavala Day shall be regularly observed by
2-67     appropriate programs in the public schools and other places to
2-68     commemorate the birthday of this great Texan.
2-69           SECTION 10.  It is the intent of the legislature that the
 3-1     General Services Commission, the Parks and Wildlife Department, and
 3-2     other state agencies continue to give due consideration to the
 3-3     state tree and the state flower when planning beautification of
 3-4     state parks or other public property.
 3-5           SECTION 11.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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