BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1976 By: Janek April 30, 1995 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND For over 30 years, the City of Bellaire (in the southwest Houston area) has maintained a small strip of land owned by the State as a public park. This park area is approximately one-half acre. PURPOSE HB 1976 would allow the Texas Department of Transportation to convey the small tract of land to the City of Bellaire to be used as a public park. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1 Requires the Texas Department of Transportation to convey without compensation the park property described in this Act to the City of Bellaire. The conveyance will also include improvements on the property. The conveyance is in recognition of the city's longtime maintenance of the park. It is also stated that Section 31.158, Natural Resource Code, and Aricle 6673a, Revised Statutes, do not apply to this conveyance. SECTION 2 Provides that title to the property will revert to the state if it ceases to be used as a park. SECTION 3 Physical description of the property to be conveyed. SECTION 4 Emergency clause. Effective upon passage. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute makes the conveyance mandatory, rather than permissive, and provides that the conveyance will be made without compensation. The substitute also adds the reversionary provision, which states that title will revert to the state if the property ceases to be used as a park. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 1976 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on April 11, 1995. The following person testified in favor of the bill: Representative Kyle Janek. The following person testified neutrally on the bill: Gary Bernethy, representing the Texas Department of Transportation. The bill was left pending. H.B. 1976 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on April 25, 1995. The committee considered a complete substitute for the bill. The substitute was adopted without objection. The bill was reported favorably as substituted, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed and be sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, by a record vote of 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 3 absent.