By Pitts                                        H.B. No. 2610

      75R7344 PAM-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the disposition of certain state land used as the site

 1-3     for the superconducting super collider research facility.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 465.018, Government Code, is amended by

 1-6     adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:

 1-7           (d)  The authority of the commission to manage, control,

 1-8     market, and dispose of real property and interests in real property

 1-9     is transferred to the General Land Office.  The powers conferred on

1-10     the General Land Office under this subsection are in addition to

1-11     and not in derogation of any other legal authority the General Land

1-12     Office has to acquire, manage, control, market, and dispose of real

1-13     property.

1-14           SECTION 2.  Subchapter G, Chapter 31, Natural Resources Code,

1-15     is amended by adding Sections 31.307-31.309 to read as follows:

1-16           Sec. 31.307.  DEDICATION OF ROADS.  The commissioner may

1-17     dedicate roads located on the land used as the site for the

1-18     superconducting super collider research facility to the county in

1-19     which the roads are located if the commissioner believes that the

1-20     dedication will enhance the value of remaining state land.

1-21           Sec. 31.308.  CONVEYANCE OF SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE ESTATE.

1-22     (a)  In this section, "subsurface estate" means the subsurface

1-23     acquired by the state to construct or maintain the underground

1-24     accelerator partially built or proposed to be built as part of the

 2-1     superconducting super collider research facility.

 2-2           (b)  The commissioner shall convey the state's interest in

 2-3     the subsurface estate underlying the surface estate of land used as

 2-4     the site for the superconducting super collider research facility

 2-5     if the owner of the surface estate pays a sum mutually agreed on by

 2-6     the parties. After the state conveys its interest in the subsurface

 2-7     estate as provided by this subsection, title to the subsurface

 2-8     estate is reunited with the title to the surface estate.

 2-9           (c)  Unless the instrument of conveyance provides otherwise,

2-10     a conveyance of the surface estate of land by the state under this

2-11     subchapter includes the conveyance of the subsurface estate to the

2-12     extent of the state's interest in the subsurface estate.

2-13           (d)  The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement

2-14     this section.

2-15           Sec. 31.309.  PREFERENCE RIGHT TO PURCHASE CERTAIN LAND.

2-16     (a)  A person or the person's heirs who conveyed land to the state

2-17     for use by the superconducting super collider research facility has

2-18     a preference right to purchase the same tract of land previously

2-19     conveyed before the tract is offered for sale by the state to any

2-20     other person.

2-21           (b)  A person who has a preference right under this section

2-22     must pay at least the fair market value for the land as determined

2-23     by an appraisal conducted by the General Land Office.

2-24           (c)  This section does not apply to a subsurface estate as

2-25     defined by Section 31.308.

2-26           (d)  The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement

2-27     this section.

 3-1           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 3-2           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.