1-1     By:  Isett (Senate Sponsor - Harris)                  H.B. No. 3442
 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
 1-4     Administration; May 13, 1999, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 13, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to a Texas Historical Commission program for the
 1-9     identification and preservation of abandoned cemeteries.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Chapter 442, Government Code, is amended by
1-12     adding Section 442.017 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 442.017.  IDENTIFICATION AND PRESERVATION OF ABANDONED
1-14     CEMETERIES.  (a)  The commission shall establish a program to
1-15     identify and preserve abandoned cemeteries across the state.
1-16           (b)  The commission is encouraged to use volunteers to the
1-17     maximum extent possible to implement the program and to model the
1-18     program to the extent appropriate on the "Adopt-A-Beach" program
1-19     conducted by the General Land Office.
1-20           (c)  The commission may accept gifts, grants, and in-kind
1-21     donations from public and private entities for the implementation
1-22     of the program.  The legislature may appropriate money to the
1-23     commission to implement the program.
1-24           (d)  The commission may adopt rules reasonably necessary to
1-25     implement the program. The commission shall define the term
1-26     "abandoned cemetery" for purposes of this section after considering
1-27     relevant statutes and judicial decisions.
1-28           (e)  This section and an action taken by the commission under
1-29     this section do not affect the authority of another govenmental
1-30     entity to take an action in relation to an abandoned cemetery under
1-31     other law.
1-32           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-33     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-34     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-35     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-36     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-37     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-38     passage, and it is so enacted.
1-39                                  * * * * *