S.B. No. 550
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the authority of the Railroad Commission of Texas to
    1-2  receive and administer gifts, grants, and donations.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Title 112, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
    1-5  Article 6447i to read as follows:
    1-6        Art. 6447i.  GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS.  (a)  The
    1-7  commission may apply for, request, solicit, contract for, receive,
    1-8  accept, and administer gifts, grants, and donations of money or
    1-9  other assistance from any source to carry out any commission
   1-10  purpose or power authorized by law.
   1-11        (b)  The commission may not, under Subsection (a) of this
   1-12  section, accept a gift or donation of money or of property from a
   1-13  party in a contested case, as defined in Section 2001.003(1),
   1-14  Government Code, during the period from the inception of the
   1-15  contested case until 30 days after a final order is signed in the
   1-16  contested case.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-22  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-23  passage, and it is so enacted.