BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1767

By: Canales

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Lieutenant General Marc Cisneros is a decorated soldier who served his country in the U.S. Army for 35 years. During that time, he served in three combat tours: twice in Vietnam and once in Panama. He earned the Combat Infantry Badge and was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. During Operation JUST CAUSE in Panama, Marc was the Commander of U.S. Army South and Joint Task Force Panama and received wide recognition for his role in capturing the dictator, Manuel Noriega, and restoring democracy to Panama. After retiring from the army in 1996, Marc was selected to be president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville in south Texas, where he served for three years. He is the current CEO of the John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation, a charity foundation in Texas that also owns and operates a 235,000-acre ranch adjacent to King Ranch.

H.B. 1767 seeks to recognize the work and tireless dedication of Lieutenant General Marc Cisneros to both his country and south Texas by designating a portion of U.S. Highway 281 as the Lt. General Marc Cisneros Highway.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1767 amends the Transportation Code to designate the portion of U.S. Highway 281 in Jim Wells County between its intersection with County Road 418 and its intersection with County Road 431 as the Lt. General Marc Cisneros Highway, in addition to any other designation. The bill requires the Texas Department of Transportation, subject to a grant or donation of funds, to design and construct markers indicating the designation as the Lt. General Marc Cisneros Highway and any other appropriate information and to erect a marker at each end of the highway and at appropriate intermediate sites along the highway.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.