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.
3-10 * * * * *