BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2026

By: Frank

Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that local leaders have requested that a highway be named after Gary C. Johnston and Gary S. Johnston, two soldiers born in Archer County who died defending the United States. U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gary C. Johnston was deployed to Vietnam, where he served as an infantry indirect fire crewman and was killed in action in April 1970. U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Gary S. Johnston, the nephew of Staff Sergeant Johnston, was deployed to Iraq where he served as a radio operator, earned a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and a National Defense Service Medal, and was killed in action in January 2007. C.S.H.B. 2026 seeks to honor these individuals by designating a portion of State Highway 25 as the U.S. Army Gary C. and U.S.M.C. Gary S. Johnston Memorial Highway.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

C.S.H.B. 2026 amends the Transportation Code to designate the portion of State Highway 25 in Archer County between the eastern municipal limits of Archer City and the western municipal limits of Windthorst as the U.S. Army Gary C. and U.S.M.C. Gary S. Johnston Memorial Highway, in addition to any other designation. The bill requires the Texas Department of Transportation, subject to a grant or donation of funds, to do the following:

· design and construct markers indicating the designation as the U.S. Army Gary C. and U.S.M.C. Gary S. Johnston Memorial Highway and any other appropriate information; and

· erect a marker at each end of the highway and at appropriate intermediate sites along the highway.

The bill establishes the legislature's intent that the provisions added by the bill be renumbered to prevent multiple provisions with the same designation.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2026 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute changes the name of the memorial highway from the U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gary C. Johnston and U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Gary S. Johnston Memorial Highway, as in the introduced, to the U.S. Army Gary C. and U.S.M.C. Gary S. Johnston Memorial Highway. The substitute includes a provision absent from the introduced establishing that this designation is in addition to any other designation.

The substitute includes a provision absent from the introduced establishing the legislature's intent that the provisions added by the bill be renumbered to prevent multiple provisions with the same designation.