1-1     By:  Pitts (Senate Sponsor - Nelson)                  H.B. No. 2462

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 1997;

 1-3     May 13, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Intergovernmental Relations; May 16, 1997, reported favorably by

 1-5     the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 16, 1997, sent to

 1-6     printer.)

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to authorizing a single county to create a rural rail

1-10     transportation district.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Chapter 623, Acts of the 67th Legislature,

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

1-14     Statutes), is amended by adding Section 3A to read as follows:

1-15           Sec. 3A.  CREATION OR DISSOLUTION OF DISTRICT LOCATED WHOLLY

1-16     IN ONE COUNTY.  (a)  In addition to eligible counties, the

1-17     commissioners court of a county that meets the requirements of

1-18     Section 3(b) of this Act by order may create a rural rail

1-19     transportation district for purposes of developing, financing,

1-20     maintaining, and operating a new rail system under this Act and for

1-21     other purposes of this Act.

1-22           (b)  The boundaries of a district created under this section

1-23     are the boundaries of the county in which the district is created.

1-24           (c)  At the time the district is created, the commissioners

1-25     court shall:

1-26                 (1)  designate the name of the district; and

1-27                 (2)  appoint at least four residents of the county to

1-28     serve as directors of the district.

1-29           (d)  A member of the board of directors serves for a two-year

1-30     term. An initial director serves for a term ending on the second

1-31     anniversary of the date on which the order creating the district

1-32     was adopted.

1-33           (e)  Section 4 of this Act applies to a board member

1-34     appointed under this section.

1-35           (f)  The commissioners court of the county by order may

1-36     provide for the dissolution of the district if:

1-37                 (1)  the commissioners court determines that the

1-38     dissolution will not impair an obligation of any contract of the

1-39     district; and

1-40                 (2)  the dissolution order will become effective only

1-41     on the creation of another district under this Act that includes

1-42     the county and meets the requirements of Sections 3(a) and (b) of

1-43     this Act.

1-44           SECTION 2.  The heading for Section 3, Chapter 623, Acts of

1-45     the 67th Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 6550c,

1-46     Vernon's Texas  Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:

1-47           Sec. 3.  CREATION, RE-CREATION, OR DISSOLUTION OF DISTRICT

1-48     LOCATED IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTY.

1-49           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-50     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-51     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-52     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-53     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-54     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-55     passage, and it is so enacted.

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