1-1 By: Finnell (Senate Sponsor - Luna) H.B. No. 2353 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 21, 1997; 1-3 April 23, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on State 1-4 Affairs; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 13, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to rural rail transportation districts. 1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-10 SECTION 1. Section 4, Chapter 623, Acts of the 67th 1-11 Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 6550c, Vernon's Texas 1-12 Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as 1-13 follows: 1-14 (g) An elected officer of the state or a political 1-15 subdivision of the state who is not prohibited by the Texas 1-16 Constitution from serving on the board is eligible to serve on the 1-17 board. 1-18 SECTION 2. Section 3, Chapter 623, Acts of the 67th 1-19 Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 6550c, Vernon's Texas 1-20 Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as 1-21 follows: 1-22 (f) The board of directors of each newly created district 1-23 shall provide notice to the Texas Transportation Institute of the 1-24 creation of the district. On being notified by the board, the 1-25 Texas Transportation Institute shall make available to the board a 1-26 guide to the services and information that the institute provides. 1-27 SECTION 3. (a) Not later than January 1, 1998, the Railroad 1-28 Commission of Texas shall inform the commissioners court of each 1-29 county of the county's ability to create a rural rail 1-30 transportation district under Chapter 623, Acts of the 67th 1-31 Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 6550c, Vernon's Texas 1-32 Civil Statutes). 1-33 (b) Not later than January 1, 1998, the Texas Transportation 1-34 Institute shall provide the board of each existing rural rail 1-35 transportation district a guide to the services and information 1-36 that the institute provides. 1-37 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-38 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-39 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-40 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-41 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-42 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-43 passage, and it is so enacted. 1-44 * * * * *