By Truan                                         S.B. No. 567

      75R1645 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to requiring the comptroller to conduct a study on the

 1-3     economic effects of the merger of the Union Pacific and Southern

 1-4     Pacific railroads.

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

 1-6           SECTION 1.  (a)  The comptroller shall, in conjunction with

 1-7     the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, conduct

 1-8     a study of the economic effects in Texas of the merger of the Union

 1-9     Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads.  The study shall

1-10     specifically include the merger's effect on the cost and

1-11     availability of rail transportation between Texas and Mexico and

1-12     the impact of the merger on trade with Mexico.

1-13           (b)  The comptroller shall, not later than December 15, 1998,

1-14     file a written report with the lieutenant governor and the speaker

1-15     of the house of representatives detailing the results of the study

1-16     conducted under Subsection (a) of this section.

1-17           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-22     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-23     passage, and it is so enacted.