By Hightower                                          H.B. No. 2278
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the transfer of certain facilities from the Texas
    1-3  Department of Criminal Justice to other state agencies.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 496, Government Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Section 496.0031 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 496.0031.  TRANSFER OF FACILITIES.  (a)  The department
    1-8  may transfer a correctional facility to another agency of the
    1-9  state, and the agency receiving the facility subsequently may
   1-10  transfer the facility back to the department.
   1-11        (b)  A transfer under this section requires the agreement of
   1-12  the board and the governing body of the agency receiving the
   1-13  correctional facility or returning the correctional facility to the
   1-14  department, both as to the identity of the facility to be
   1-15  transferred and to the method of transfer.
   1-16        (c)  In this section, "transfer" means to convey title to,
   1-17  lease, or otherwise convey the beneficial use of a correctional
   1-18  facility and land appurtenant to the facility.
   1-19        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-20  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-21  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-22  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-23  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-24  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-1  passage, and it is so enacted.