BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1677
87R16365 MTB-F	By: Holland et al. (Springer)
	Administration
	5/4/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Police service animals are highly trained service animals that are partnered with law enforcement officers. These animals are essential to many police organizations. They serve as watchful and sensitive guardians for their handlers and members of the public, with some of these animals even dying in the line of duty to protect human life. Despite the brave service of these animals, there is a lack of recognition on the Texas Capitol grounds for such animals killed in the line of duty. Police service animals are an essential part of law enforcement and should be honored and remembered as such. The bill seeks to address this issue by establishing a Texas Police Service Animals Memorial Monument on the Capitol Complex's grounds to recognize and honor these heroic animals.

H.B. 1677 amends current law relating to the establishment of the Texas Police Service Animals Memorial Monument in the Capitol Complex.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subtitle A, Title 11, Government Code, by adding Chapter 3107, as follows:

CHAPTER 3107. TEXAS POLICE SERVICE ANIMALS MEMORIAL MONUMENT

Sec. 3107.001. DEFINITIONS. Defines "board," "Capitol Complex,"� "monument," and "police service animal."

Sec. 3107.002. TEXAS POLICE SERVICE ANIMALS MEMORIAL MONUMENT. Requires the State Preservation Board (SPB), subject to Section 443.0152 (Capitol Grounds Monuments), to establish a Texas Police Service Animals Memorial Monument using SPB approval procedures on the grounds of the Capitol Complex adjacent to the Texas Peace Officers' Memorial Monument to recognize and honor police service animals that were killed in the line of duty.

Sec. 3107.003. MAINTENANCE OF MONUMENT. (a) Provides that SPB� is responsible for the maintenance of the monument. Authorizes SPB to receive money from private entities for the continued maintenance and update of the monument. Requires SPB to establish a schedule for the maintenance of the monument, and to select persons to maintain the monument.

(b) Requires an entity that collects funds for the maintenance and improvement of the monument to send that money to SPB to be deposited in the Capitol fund account.

Sec. 3107.004. ACCOUNT. (a) Requires that money contributed to the state for a purpose related to the monument be deposited by SPB in the Capitol fund to the credit of a separate interest-bearing account established for the monument.

(b) Requires that income from investments of money in the account be deposited to the credit of the account, notwithstanding any other law.

(c) Authorizes money in the account to be used only for the purposes prescribed by Section 3107.003.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2021.