|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to establishing the Citizens' Star of Texas Award. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 3106.001, Government Code, is amended by |
|
adding Subdivision (4) to read as follows: |
|
(4) "Next of kin" means the relative in the nearest |
|
degree of relationship to a deceased person, including the person's |
|
spouse, child, parent, or sibling. |
|
SECTION 2. Chapter 3106, Government Code, is amended by |
|
adding Section 3106.0041 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 3106.0041. CITIZENS' STAR OF TEXAS AWARD. (a) The |
|
Citizens' Star of Texas Award shall be awarded to: |
|
(1) a private citizen who is seriously injured while |
|
aiding or attempting to aid a peace officer, firefighter, or |
|
emergency medical first responder in the performance of the duties |
|
of the officer, firefighter, or first responder; and |
|
(2) the surviving next of kin of a private citizen who |
|
is killed or sustains a fatal injury while aiding or attempting to |
|
aid a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical first |
|
responder in the performance of the duties of the officer, |
|
firefighter, or first responder. |
|
(b) The Peace Officers' Star of Texas Award Advisory |
|
Committee under Section 3106.002, the Firefighters' Star of Texas |
|
Award Advisory Committee under Section 3106.003, and the Emergency |
|
Medical First Responders' Star of Texas Award Advisory Committee |
|
under Section 3106.004, as applicable, shall advise the governor on |
|
the issuance, design, and presentation of the Citizens' Star of |
|
Texas Award. |
|
SECTION 3. Section 3106.007, Government Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
Sec. 3106.007. RECOMMENDATION FOR AWARD. (a) Any person |
|
who has personal knowledge that a peace officer, firefighter, or |
|
emergency medical first responder has been killed or seriously |
|
injured in the line of duty, or that a federal law enforcement |
|
officer or special agent has been killed or seriously injured while |
|
performing duties in this state to assist a state or local law |
|
enforcement agency, may submit that information in writing to a |
|
committee under this chapter. |
|
(b) The head of an agency that employs a peace officer, |
|
firefighter, or emergency medical first responder who has knowledge |
|
of a private citizen described by Section 3106.0041(a) and a state |
|
legislator representing the district in which the private citizen |
|
resides may submit information about the private citizen in writing |
|
to a committee under this chapter. |
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
|
|
|
* * * * * |