By Martin H.B. No. 2658 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the right and authority of the Commissioner of the 1-3 Texas General Land Office to acquire, hold, and dispose of surplus 1-4 federal property. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Section 31.068. Chapter 31, Subchapter D, 1-7 Natural Resources Code, is hereby amended by the addition of 1-8 Section 31.068, to read as follows: 1-9 Section 31.068. (a) The commissioner of the land office is 1-10 named, designated, and authorized as the sole state official 1-11 authorized to apply for, acquire by deed or other conveyance, take 1-12 possession of, and hold surplus federal real property, the 1-13 improvements thereon and appurtenances thereto, as may be made 1-14 available under the Federal Property and Administration Services 1-15 Act of 1949 (Title 40 United States Code, Section 471, et seq.) 1-16 (b) Title to surplus federal real property acquired under 1-17 subsection (a) shall be held by the commissioner of the land office 1-18 for and on behalf of the state for a period not to exceed four 1-19 years from the date notice of the availability of surplus real 1-20 property is received by the state. 1-21 (c) Within the two year period following the conveyance of 1-22 any surplus federal real property as provided in subsection (b), 1-23 the Asset Management Division of the land office shall hold the 2-1 real property in inventory as provided by Section 31.154, Natural 2-2 Resources Code, and shall review the best and most appropriate use 2-3 for such real property as provided in Section 31.156, Natural 2-4 Resources Code. 2-5 (d) As soon as the review of the real property provided in 2-6 subsection (c) is complete, the commissioner of the land office 2-7 shall report the findings, recommendations, and conclusions to the 2-8 General Services Commission and to the state officials identified 2-9 in Section 31.157(d), Natural Resources Code. The commissioner 2-10 shall then coordinate with the General Services Commission and 2-11 state officials to prepare a plan for the use by and distribution 2-12 of the real property to or among state agencies, political 2-13 subdivisions, counties, cities or towns, or any public agency or 2-14 associations of such entities, subject to the provisions of 2-15 subsection (f) of this Section. 2-16 (e) The plan developed as provided in subsection (d) shall 2-17 be delivered to the legislature if then in session, or to the 2-18 legislature in its next regularly convened session, for its 2-19 consideration and approval. The commissioner of the land office 2-20 shall dispose of the real property as finally approved and directed 2-21 by the legislature. 2-22 (f) Any lands originally ceded, granted, or conveyed to the 2-23 federal government from the Permanent School Fund or any 2-24 constitutionally dedicated fund, and recovered by the state under 2-25 the provisions of this section, shall be returned, upon receipt of 3-1 title, to the fund from whence it originated. 3-2 (g) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to carry 3-3 out the provisions of this section, and any such rules so 3-4 promulaged may provide for the payment of reasonable fees for the 3-5 cost of application, review, appraisal, survey and other 3-6 administrative costs incurred by the land office upon conveyance to 3-7 any agency, political subdivision, city or town, or public agency 3-8 which receives all or part of real property subject to this 3-9 section. 3-10 SECTION 2. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation 3-11 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-12 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-13 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-14 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.