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.

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