TITLE: Commending the Department of Public Safety on its commitment to protecting and serving the citizens of Texas.

SUMMARY: Commending the Department of Public Safety on its commitment to protecting and serving the citizens of Texas.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is pleased to recognize the Texas Department of Public Safety for its longtime commitment to protecting and serving the citizens of Texas; and WHEREAS, A bastion of law and order for nearly two centuries, the agency has a storied history hailing back to its inception as the Texas Rangers in 1823; the Texas Rangers and the Texas Highway Patrol were combined in 1935 in what would thereafter be known as the Department of Public Safety; and WHEREAS, Over the years, the department's responsibilities have evolved, and today it consists of multiple divisions and units that work together to achieve the department's four primary goals: to combat crime and terrorism, to strengthen statewide emergency management, to enhance highway and public safety, and to provide licensing and regulatory services; and WHEREAS, The Department of Public Safety employs more than 3,800 commissioned officers and over 5,000 other dedicated staff members; its divisions include Criminal Investigations, Law Enforcement Support, Aircraft Operations, Homeland Security, Emergency Management, Intelligence and Counterterrorism, Driver License, Regulatory Services, the Texas Highway Patrol, and the Texas Rangers; and WHEREAS, Each year, the department's officers and other agents seize tons of illegal drugs and millions of dollars in drug-trade proceeds, guard against and respond to a variety of threats and disasters, and provide a myriad of licensing and regulatory services; the Texas Rangers, originally created to help protect frontier settlers, now serve as an elite force and assist in a variety of federal, state, and local investigations; and WHEREAS, Over the last 190 years, the Department of Public Safety and its expert forces have worked tirelessly to maintain law, order, and civility in our state, and these professionals are indeed deserving of recognition; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby commend the Texas Department of Public Safety on its long history of excellence and dedication in law enforcement and extend to its employees sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the agency as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Geren Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1800 was adopted by the House on April 29, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House