By: Shapiro, Uresti  S.B. No. 277
         (In the Senate - Filed January 23, 2007; January 30, 2007,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce;
  February 28, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote:
  Yeas 9, Nays 0; February 28, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the use in an advertisement of a name or picture of a
  member of the United States Armed Forces; providing a criminal
  penalty.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 35, Business & Commerce
  Code, is amended by adding Section 35.64 to read as follows:
         Sec. 35.64.  CERTAIN USES OF NAME OR PICTURE OF MEMBER OF
  ARMED FORCES PROHIBITED.  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Heir" means a surviving grandparent, parent,
  sibling, child, or grandchild of a deceased individual.
               (2)  "Personal representative" means an executor,
  independent executor, administrator, independent administrator, or
  temporary administrator, together with their successors.
         (b)  A person commits an offense if the person uses, in an
  advertisement for a commercial purpose, the name of an individual
  who is an active duty or former member of the United States Armed
  Forces or a picture of the individual in uniform, without obtaining
  the consent of:
               (1)  the individual, if the individual is living; or
               (2)  the individual's surviving spouse or personal
  representative or a majority of the individual's adult heirs, if
  the individual is deceased.
         (c)  An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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