CS/CS/HB 37 — Abandoned Cemeteries
by Infrastructure and Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee; Government Operations Subcommittee; and Rep. Driskell and others (CS/SB 222 by Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee and Senators Cruz and Stewart)
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee (GO)
The bill creates a 10-member Task Force on Abandoned African-American Cemeteries (task force), adjunct to the Department of State, to study the extent that unmarked or abandoned African-American cemeteries and burial grounds exist throughout the state and to develop and recommend strategies for identifying and recording cemeteries and burial grounds while preserving local history and ensuring dignity and respect for the deceased.
The task force must hold its first meeting by August 1, 2021, and may meet as many times as it deems necessary to complete its duties. The task force must submit a report by January 1, 2022, detailing its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority Leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The bill provides that the section establishing the task force expires on March 11, 2022.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2021.
Vote: Senate 40-0; House 117-0