By Ramsay                                       H.B. No. 3369

      75R9459 JD-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the revitalization of railroads in this state.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Title 112, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding

 1-5     Article 6350a to read as follows:

 1-6           Art. 6350a.  RAILROAD REVITALIZATION.  (a)  In this article:

 1-7                 (1)  "Department" means the Texas Department of

 1-8     Transportation.

 1-9                 (2)  "District" means a rural rail transportation

1-10     district created under Chapter 623, Acts of the 67th Legislature,

1-11     Regular Session, 1981 (Article 6550c, Vernon's Texas Civil

1-12     Statutes).

1-13           (b)  The department shall enter into agreements with one or

1-14     more districts for the acquisition, construction, repair,

1-15     replacement, or maintenance of railroad rights-of-way.

1-16           (c)  The department may:

1-17                 (1)  acquire and hold property under this article and

1-18     dispose of surplus property acquired under this article;

1-19                 (2)  receive, accept, and spend money from the state,

1-20     the United States, or private sources for the purposes and

1-21     administration of this article; and

1-22                 (3)  spend money appropriated to the department in the

1-23     exercise of its powers under this article.

1-24           (d)  A special revolving fund in the state treasury is

 2-1     created consisting of:

 2-2                 (1)  money collected by the department under this

 2-3     article; and

 2-4                 (2)  money received by the department in connection

 2-5     with this article from this state, the United States, and other

 2-6     sources.

 2-7           (e)  Money collected or received by the department under this

 2-8     article shall be deposited to the credit of the fund.  Money in the

 2-9     fund may be appropriated only to the department for the purposes

2-10     and administration of this article.

2-11           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-12           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-13     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-14     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-15     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-16     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.