1-1           By:  Carona                                      S.B. No. 544

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 12, 1997; February 17, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental

 1-4     Relations; February 27, 1997, reported favorably by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; February 27, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the procedure by which a municipality may dispose of

 1-9     certain land.

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

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 253.001, Local Government

1-12     Code, is amended to read as follows:

1-13           (b)  Land owned, held, or claimed as a public square [or

1-14     park] may not be sold unless the issue of the sale is submitted to

1-15     the qualified voters of the municipality at an election and is

1-16     approved by a majority of the votes received at the election.

1-17     However [;  provided, however], this provision shall not apply to

1-18     the sale of land or right-of-way for drainage purposes to a

1-19     district, county, or corporation acting on behalf of a county or

1-20     district.

1-21           SECTION 2.  Subsections (e), (f), and (g), Section 253.001,

1-22     Local Government Code, are repealed.

1-23           SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act to Section

1-24     253.001, Local Government Code, apply only to the disposition of

1-25     land under a contract made on or after the effective date of this

1-26     Act.  The disposition of land under a contract made before that

1-27     date is governed by the law in effect when the contract was made,

1-28     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

1-29           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-30     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-31     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-32     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-33     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-34     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-35     passage, and it is so enacted.

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