1-1     By:  Gallegos                                          S.B. No. 901

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 3, 1997; March 10, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental

 1-4     Relations; April 8, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 8, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to an entity's eligibility for foreign trade zone or

 1-9     subzone status.

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

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 2, Chapter 1105, Acts of the 70th

1-12     Legislature, Regular Session, 1987 (Article 1446.01, Vernon's Texas

1-13     Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 2.  (a)  An eligible corporation or a governmental

1-15     entity is authorized to submit an application [apply] for and

1-16     accept a grant to establish, operate, and maintain a foreign trade

1-17     zone and subzones, subject to the requirements of federal law and

1-18     the regulations of the Foreign Trade Zones Board, and to take other

1-19     actions necessary to establish, operate, and maintain the foreign

1-20     trade zone and subzones.

1-21           (b)  The application described by Subsection (a) of this

1-22     section must include a resolution either supporting or opposing the

1-23     application from the governing body of each political subdivision

1-24     that has the authority to tax any of the real property located in

1-25     the geographical area of the proposed foreign trade zone or

1-26     subzone.

1-27           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-28     applies only to an application for a grant to establish, operate,

1-29     and maintain a foreign trade zone or subzone filed on or after that

1-30     date.

1-31           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-32     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-33     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-34     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-35     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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