Bill Text: TX HB2580 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishing a state historical marker program to honor African Americans who served in the Texas Legislature during Reconstruction.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-13 - Referred to Culture, Recreation & Tourism [HB2580 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2580-Introduced.html
| 88R4048 CXP-D | ||
| By: Dutton | H.B. No. 2580 | |
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| relating to establishing a state historical marker program to honor | ||
| African Americans who served in the Texas Legislature during | ||
| Reconstruction. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Texas Black | ||
| Reconstruction Legislators Recognition Act. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 442, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 442.0061 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 442.0061. STATE HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM TO HONOR | ||
| AFRICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATORS. (a) The commission shall establish | ||
| and administer a state historical marker program to honor African | ||
| Americans who served in the Texas Legislature between 1870 and | ||
| 1875, during the 12th, 13th, or 14th Legislative Session. | ||
| (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the commission | ||
| shall install a historical marker at or as near as practicable to | ||
| the grave of each former member of the Texas Legislature described | ||
| by Subsection (a) in consultation with the: | ||
| (1) county historical commission established under | ||
| Chapter 318, Local Government Code, for the county in which the | ||
| grave is located; and | ||
| (2) cemetery association or other entity that manages | ||
| the cemetery in which the grave is located. | ||
| (c) If the former member's place of burial is unknown or the | ||
| commission determines that placement of a historical marker at the | ||
| former member's place of burial is inappropriate, the commission, | ||
| in consultation with the county historical commission established | ||
| under Chapter 318, Local Government Code, for each county | ||
| represented by the former member, shall install a historical marker | ||
| at an appropriate place within the boundaries of the counties | ||
| represented by the former member. | ||
| (d) Historical markers installed under this section must: | ||
| (1) have the same form, dimensions, and illustrations | ||
| as a large Official Texas Historical Marker described by Section | ||
| 442.006(c) except that the markers must also include the state seal | ||
| at the bottom of the markers; and | ||
| (2) include text that reads: | ||
| "FOLLOWING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR AND EMANCIPATION OF SLAVES | ||
| IN 1865, IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1871 THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS IN TEXAS WERE | ||
| ABLE TO UNIFORMLY REGISTER TO VOTE, FOLLOWING THE RATIFICATION OF | ||
| THE 15TH AMENDMENT TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION. | ||
| "WHILE AFRICAN AMERICANS SERVED AS DELEGATES TO STATE | ||
| CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS PRIOR TO 1870, THE FIRST AFRICAN | ||
| AMERICANS ELECTED TO SERVE IN THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE WERE ELECTED TO | ||
| THE 12TH LEGISLATURE, WHICH CONVENED IN PROVISIONAL SESSION ON | ||
| FEBRUARY 8, 1870. | ||
| "PRIOR TO THE END OF FEDERAL RECONSTRUCTION IN 1870, TWELVE | ||
| AFRICAN AMERICANS SERVED IN THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND | ||
| TWO SERVED IN THE TEXAS SENATE. | ||
| "THIS MARKER IS ERECTED IN HONOR OF: | ||
| "(FIRST NAME, MIDDLE INITIAL, AND SURNAME OF THE FORMER | ||
| MEMBER) (THE CHAMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE IN WHICH THE FORMER | ||
| MEMBER SERVED AND THE LEGISLATURE DURING WHICH THE FORMER MEMBER | ||
| SERVED) (THE FORMER MEMBER'S DATE OF BIRTH OR "UNKNOWN," AS | ||
| APPLICABLE) (THE FORMER MEMBER'S DATE OF DEATH) (EACH COUNTY | ||
| REPRESENTED BY THE FORMER MEMBER) | ||
| "ERECTED BY THE 88TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE AND THE TEXAS | ||
| HISTORICAL COMMISSION AS AUTHORIZED BY (NUMBER OF THE BILL PASSED | ||
| BY THE 88TH LEGISLATURE AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE | ||
| HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM HONORING AFRICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATORS)" | ||
| (e) The commission may seek assistance from other state and | ||
| local governmental entities in carrying out the commission's duties | ||
| under this section. | ||
| (f) The commission may seek and accept gifts, grants, and | ||
| donations from public or private sources, including seeking | ||
| available federal funds, to accomplish the purposes of this | ||
| section. | ||
| SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2025, the Texas | ||
| Historical Commission shall install the historical markers | ||
| required by Section 442.0061, Government Code, as added by this | ||
| Act. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
