1-1     By:  Najera (Senate Sponsor - Shapleigh)              H.B. No. 3425
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 1999;
 1-3     May 10, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran
 1-4     Affairs and Military Installations; May 13, 1999, reported
 1-5     favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 13, 1999,
 1-6     sent to printer.)
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to eligibility for the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.   Section 431.131, Government Code, is amended to
1-12     read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 431.131.  TEXAS LEGISLATIVE MEDAL OF HONOR.  (a)  The
1-14     Texas Legislative Medal of Honor shall be awarded to a member of
1-15     the state military forces who voluntarily performs a deed of
1-16     personal bravery or self-sacrifice involving risk of life that is
1-17     so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the person for gallantry
1-18     and intrepidity above the person's comrades.  Awarding of the medal
1-19     shall be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit.  The
1-20     medal may be awarded only on incontestable proof of performance of
1-21     the deed.
1-22           (b)  The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor may be awarded to
1-23     any person who has been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
1-24           SECTION 2.   This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-25           SECTION 3.   The importance of this legislation and the
1-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-27     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-28     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-29     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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