Texas House bill by Rep. Cole designates highway segment as memorial for police officer

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Sheryl Cole seeks to honor the service of Officer Traylor by designating a segment of Farm-to-Market Road 969 in Travis County as a memorial highway, following approval in both chambers, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 47 Democrats and 78 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while six Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, with no opposing votes.

Sheryl Cole introduced the bill in the Texas House on Tuesday, Feb. 4, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Cole graduated from the University of Texas with a BA.

Cole, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State House in 2019 to represent the state’s 46th House district, replacing previous state representative Dawnna Dukes.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the designation of a portion of Farm-to-Market Road 969 in Travis County as the Senior Police Officer Lewis “Andy” Traylor Memorial Highway’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill designates a segment of Farm-to-Market Road 969 in Travis County, Texas, as the Senior Police Officer Lewis “Andy” Traylor Memorial Highway. This segment extends from its intersection with Decker Lane to its intersection with U.S. Highway 183. The designation is meant to honor the service of Officer Traylor and will exist alongside any existing designations. The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for designing, constructing, and erecting markers at each end of the highway and appropriate intermediate sites to indicate this designation. The bill takes effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. John Bucy III (Democrat – District 136).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 9, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday, May 24.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.