S.B. No. 627 AN ACT 1-1 relating to authorizing the Texas State Library and Archives 1-2 Commission to negotiate an agreement with the appropriate 1-3 authorities in Mexico for the exchange of certain Alamo and San 1-4 Jacinto battle flags. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 441, Government Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Section 441.0115 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 441.0115. AGREEMENT WITH MEXICO. The commission may 1-9 negotiate an agreement with the appropriate authorities in Mexico 1-10 under which Texas will trade or lend to Mexico the flags of the 1-11 Toluca Battalion, the Guerrero Battalion, and the Matamoros 1-12 Battalion captured at the Battle of San Jacinto and Mexico will 1-13 trade or lend to Texas the flag of the New Orleans Greys captured 1-14 at the Battle of the Alamo. An agreement under this section: 1-15 (1) may not affect title to the flags; 1-16 (2) may provide that Texas will restore the San 1-17 Jacinto flags to a suitable condition and Mexico will restore the 1-18 Alamo flag to a suitable condition before the trade or loan of the 1-19 flags as long as such conditioning does not alter the authenticity 1-20 or integrity of the flags; and 1-21 (3) is not valid if it is not approved by the governor 1-22 and by the appropriate authority for approval under the laws of 1-23 Mexico. 1-24 SECTION 2. (a) The Texas State Library and Archives 2-1 Commission may not use appropriated money but may use gifts or 2-2 grants to restore the San Jacinto battle flags to a suitable 2-3 condition under an agreement to trade or lend the flags that is 2-4 made in accordance with Section 441.0115, Government Code, as added 2-5 by this Act. 2-6 (b) If an agreement to trade or lend the Alamo and San 2-7 Jacinto battle flags that is made in accordance with Section 2-8 441.0115, Government Code, as added by this Act, does not provide 2-9 that Mexico will restore the Alamo battle flag to a suitable 2-10 condition before the trade or loan of the flag, the Texas State 2-11 Library and Archives Commission may not use appropriated money but 2-12 may use gifts or grants to restore the Alamo battle flag to a 2-13 suitable condition after the trade or loan of the flags. 2-14 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-19 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-20 passage, and it is so enacted.