73R1229 DWS-F
By Oliveira H.B. No. 315
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to a promotion and development fund of a navigation
1-3 district.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 60.201 and 60.202, Water Code, are
1-6 amended to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 60.201. PURPOSE. Districts in this state <which
1-8 include cities of 100,000 or more inhabitants and> which operate
1-9 ports or waterways and harbor and terminal facilities are in keen
1-10 competition with other ports, waterways, harbors, and terminals
1-11 outside the state and with privately owned port and terminal
1-12 facilities inside the state. Well-situated and well-equipped ports
1-13 and waterways in other nearby states and owners of substantial port
1-14 and terminal facilities located inside and outside the state are
1-15 advertising, promoting and developing their competing ports,
1-16 waterways, harbors, and terminals through expenditure of large
1-17 amounts of money without any audit or restriction on expenditure of
1-18 the money. This activity or expenditure is thwarting and impeding
1-19 the use, progress, and development of the ports, waterways,
1-20 harbors, and terminals of this state. Continuation of this
1-21 hardship and injustice can best be met and coped with by more
1-22 liberal use of some relatively small fund set aside from the gross
1-23 income from operations of the ports of this state to be used in the
1-24 manner provided in this subchapter.
2-1 Sec. 60.202. CREATION OF FUND. A district organized under
2-2 general or special law <and containing a city of 100,000 or more
2-3 population, according to the last preceding federal census,> may
2-4 set aside out of current income from its operations a promotion and
2-5 development fund of not more than five percent of its gross income
2-6 from operations in each calendar year.
2-7 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-13 passage, and it is so enacted.