1-1     By:  Greenberg, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos)  H.B. No. 2877

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 9, 1997;

 1-3     May 12, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on State

 1-4     Affairs; May 16, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 13, Nays 0; May 16, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the issuance of bonds for projects by the Texas Public

 1-9     Finance Authority.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 24A, Texas Public Finance Authority Act

1-12     (Article 601d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read

1-13     as follows:

1-14           Sec. 24A.  SPECIFIC PROJECTS.  (a)  In addition to the

1-15     buildings that the legislature has previously approved for

1-16     acquisition or construction, the buildings described by this

1-17     section are approved for financing in accordance with Section 9 of

1-18     this Act.  This section in no way limits the authority of the board

1-19     to issue obligations to finance the purchase or lease of equipment.

1-20           (b)  The following projects are approved:

1-21                          Project                         Estimated Cost

1-22      1.  Aircraft Maintenance Shop and Office               $2,787,000

1-23          Facilities in Travis County

1-24      2.  Cosmetology Commission Building in Travis           1,520,000

1-25          County

1-26      3.  Hazardous Materials Testing Laboratory for the      1,350,000

1-27          Texas Department of Health in Travis County

1-28      4.  New Warehouse and Renovation of Existing            2,990,000

1-29          Warehouse for the [State Purchasing and]

1-30          General Services Commission in Travis County

1-31      5.  Purchase and Renovation by the [State]              10,000,000

1-32          [Purchasing and] General Services

1-33          Commission of real property which is located

1-34          in, or partially or wholly within 1,000 feet

1-35          of:  the Capitol Complex, Travis County, and

1-36          the John H. Winters Human Services Complex,

1-37          Travis County

1-38      6.  Records and Equipment Warehouse for the State       1,538,000

1-39          Board of Insurance in Travis County

1-40      7.  State Board of Insurance Building in Travis        59,937,000

1-41          County; facilities associated with

1-42          relocation of the State Aircraft Pooling Board

1-43          (not to exceed an estimated amount of $7,000,000);

1-44          and the acquisition and development of acreage

1-45          at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport for a

1-46          state complex (not to exceed an estimated

1-47          amount of $41,000,000)

1-48      8.  State Data Processing Disaster Recovery             3,011,000

1-49          Operations Center in Travis County

1-50      9.  Purchase and Renovation of New Headquarters         2,000,000

1-51          and Warehouse for [State Purchasing and]

1-52          General Services Commission in Travis County

1-53     10.  Purchase and Renovation of an Office Building      43,500,000

1-54          in Travis County

1-55     11.  Laboratory and Office Facilities for the Texas     42,300,000

1-56          Department of Health

1-57                 TOTAL                                     $170,933,000

1-58           (c)  Notwithstanding the limitations prescribed by Section 9

1-59     of this Act relating to the location of buildings for which bonds

1-60     may be issued, the authority may issue bonds under this Act to

1-61     finance the renovation of West Building, G. J. Sutton State Office

1-62     Complex in Bexar County, at an estimated cost of $1,375,000; the

1-63     construction or purchase and renovation of a building or buildings

1-64     by the commission in Tarrant County, at an estimated cost of

 2-1     $10,000,000; the construction or purchase and renovation of a

 2-2     building or buildings by the commission in Harris County, at an

 2-3     estimated cost of $20,000,000; and the purchase and renovation of a

 2-4     building or buildings by the commission in McLennan County, at an

 2-5     estimated cost of $5,000,000.  For purposes of this subsection

 2-6     regarding Tarrant and Harris counties, the commission shall, prior

 2-7     to requesting the authority to issue bonds, prepare project

 2-8     analyses for the potential construction projects and subsequent

 2-9     thereto perform an alternative purchase analysis pursuant to

2-10     Chapter 2166, Government Code [the provisions of Section 5.34,

2-11     State Purchasing and  General Services Act (Article 601b, Vernon's

2-12     Texas Civil Statutes)].

2-13           (d)  Regarding Project 5 in Subsection (b) of this section,

2-14     the legislature finds that there is a continued need for the

2-15     acquisition of real property which is located in or in the

2-16     immediate vicinity of state office building complexes for the

2-17     continued operation of the government of the State of Texas in

2-18     provision of service to the people of this state; that there are

2-19     periodic fluctuations in the prices and values of real property;

2-20     and that the ability of the state to respond to rapidly changing

2-21     market conditions is necessary in order to acquire real property at

2-22     substantial savings to the taxpayer.  Therefore, the [State

2-23     Purchasing and] General Services Commission is empowered hereby and

2-24     in accordance with Project 5 of Subsection (b) of this section to

2-25     purchase real property identified in that project number and to

2-26     make contracts necessary to carry out and effectuate the purposes

2-27     herein stated.  Prior to the purchase of such property, the

2-28     commission must determine that the purchase would be in the state's

2-29     best interest.

2-30           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-31     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-32     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-33     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-34     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-35     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-36     passage, and it is so enacted.

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