By Gallego                                      H.B. No. 2834

      75R8273 GWK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to a recision of the cession by the state to the federal

 1-3     government of certain jurisdiction over the area encompassed by Big

 1-4     Bend National Park.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  The legislature, in recognition of the deed of

 1-7     cession executed by Governor Coke R. Stevenson on December 30,

 1-8     1943, ceding limited jurisdiction over tracts of land previously

 1-9     ceded to the United States of America for the purpose of creating

1-10     Big Bend National Park:

1-11                 (1)  states that:

1-12                       (A)  the deed of cession is not a grant of

1-13     exclusive jurisdiction over criminal matters in Big Bend National

1-14     Park to the United States of America; and

1-15                       (B)  the State of Texas retains jurisdiction to

1-16     perform routine criminal investigations and enforce violations of

1-17     state law occurring in Big Bend National Park; and

1-18                 (2)  rescinds the deed of cession, to the extent

1-19     necessary to clarify to all parties that the state retains the

1-20     jurisdiction described by Subsection (1)(B) of this section.

1-21           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

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

 2-3     passage, and it is so enacted.