By Finnell                                      H.B. No. 2353

      75R955 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to rural rail transportation districts.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 4, Chapter 623, Acts of the 67th

 1-5     Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 6550c, Vernon's Texas

 1-6     Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as

 1-7     follows:

 1-8           (g)  An elected officer of the state or a political

 1-9     subdivision of the state who is not prohibited by the Texas

1-10     Constitution from serving on the board is eligible to serve on the

1-11     board.

1-12           SECTION 2.  Section 3, Chapter 623, Acts of the 67th

1-13     Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 6550c, Vernon's Texas

1-14     Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as

1-15     follows:

1-16           (f)  The board of directors of each newly created district

1-17     shall provide notice to the Texas Transportation Institute of the

1-18     creation of the district.  On being notified by the board, the

1-19     Texas Transportation Institute shall make available to the board a

1-20     guide to the services and information that the institute provides.

1-21           SECTION 3.  (a)  Not later than January 1, 1998, the Railroad

1-22     Commission of Texas shall inform the commissioners court of each

1-23     county of the county's ability to create a rural rail

1-24     transportation district under Chapter 623, Acts of the 67th

 2-1     Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 6550c, Vernon's Texas

 2-2     Civil Statutes).

 2-3           (b)  Not later than January 1, 1998, the Texas Transportation

 2-4     Institute shall provide the board of each existing rural rail

 2-5     transportation district a guide to the services and information

 2-6     that the institute provides.

 2-7           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-8     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-9     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-10     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-11     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-12     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-13     passage, and it is so enacted.