By:  Truan                                             S.B. No. 627
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        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.