1-1           By:  Haywood                                    S.C.R. No. 32

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 26, 1997; March 4, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;

 1-4     March 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 13,

 1-5     Nays 0; March 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                        SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-7           WHEREAS, The south bank of the Red River constitutes the

 1-8     boundary between the states of Texas and Oklahoma; and

 1-9           WHEREAS, The exact determination of where the south bank of

1-10     the Red River is located is extremely difficult to ascertain and

1-11     subject to widely divergent opinion; and

1-12           WHEREAS, The south bank of the Red River is not a permanent

1-13     location, but is constantly changing; and

1-14           WHEREAS, The federal government claims ownership of the south

1-15     half of the Red River within a 116-mile stretch between the 98th

1-16     Meridian and the mouth of the North Fork of the Red River; and

1-17           WHEREAS, The Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache tribes claim

1-18     entitlement to 62-1/2 percent of the revenues derived from oil and

1-19     gas production from these lands; and

1-20           WHEREAS, The changing location of the south bank and the

1-21     difficulty in determining its location at any given time has

1-22     created problems in the enforcement of laws, collection of taxes,

1-23     economic development, and the establishment of property ownership;

1-24     and

1-25           WHEREAS, It is to the mutual advantage of the states of Texas

1-26     and Oklahoma to agree on and establish a practicable boundary

1-27     between both states; and

1-28           WHEREAS, By House Concurrent Resolution 128, Acts of the 74th

1-29     Legislature, the Texas Red River Boundary Commission was created;

1-30     and

1-31           WHEREAS, The term of the commission expires on June 30, 1998;

1-32     and

1-33           WHEREAS, The states of Texas and Oklahoma are working

1-34     together to adopt a boundary compact to present to their respective

1-35     legislatures; and

1-36           WHEREAS, If the Texas Red River Boundary Commission is unable

1-37     to reach a boundary agreement with the Oklahoma Red River Boundary

1-38     Commission on or before June 30, 1998, the work of the commission

1-39     will be lost; and

1-40           WHEREAS, It is to the benefit of the citizens of Texas to

1-41     extend the term of the Texas commission and enable it to continue

1-42     its work toward a joint boundary resolution; now, therefore, be it

1-43           RESOLVED by the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas, That

1-44     the term of the Red River Boundary Commission is hereby extended to

1-45     June 30, 2000; commission members, not to exceed 17 in number,

1-46     shall be appointed by the governor; the commissioners shall be

1-47     representative of private property owners, local government elected

1-48     officials, mineral interests, and the general public; such members

1-49     shall serve without compensation, except for reasonable travel

1-50     reimbursement; staffing for this commission shall be provided by

1-51     the General Land Office, the Office of the Attorney General, and

1-52     the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission; and, be it

1-53     further

1-54           RESOLVED, That the chairman shall be appointed by the

1-55     governor; and, be it further

1-56           RESOLVED, That it shall be the duty of the commission to

1-57     confer and act in conjunction with the representatives appointed on

1-58     behalf of the State of Oklahoma for the following purposes:

1-59                 (1)  to initially make a joint investigation at the

1-60     joint expense of the two states as to the appropriate method of

1-61     establishing a practicable location of the common boundary between

1-62     the two states with respect to the Red River;

1-63                 (2)  to investigate, negotiate, and report as to the

1-64     necessity and advisability of a compact between the two states

 2-1     defining and locating a practicable, identifiable state line;

 2-2                 (3)  to hold such hearings and conferences in either of

 2-3     the two states as may be required and to take such action, either

 2-4     separately or in cooperation with the State of Oklahoma or the

 2-5     United States, or both, as may be necessary or convenient to

 2-6     accomplish the purposes of this resolution; and

 2-7                 (4)  to report to the governor and the Legislature of

 2-8     the State of Texas annually no later than January 15 of each year

 2-9     its findings and recommendations concerning joint action by the

2-10     State of Texas and the State of Oklahoma; and, be it further

2-11           RESOLVED, That the Red River Boundary Commission shall

2-12     terminate on June 30, 2000; and, be it further

2-13           RESOLVED, That the legislature hereby respectfully request

2-14     the president and the Congress of the United States to meet and

2-15     confer with the commission and the representatives of the State of

2-16     Oklahoma and to assist in carrying out the purposes of this

2-17     resolution; and, be it further

2-18           RESOLVED, That the governor of the State of Texas be and is

2-19     hereby empowered and requested to forward a copy of this resolution

2-20     to the governor of the State of Oklahoma and to request that the

2-21     governor or legislature of that state appoint representatives of

2-22     the State of Oklahoma to confer and act in conjunction with the

2-23     commission for the purposes above specified, with the understanding

2-24     that each state pay all expenses of its representatives; and, be it

2-25     further

2-26           RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official

2-27     copies of this resolution to the president of the United States,

2-28     the speaker of the house of representatives and president of the

2-29     senate of the United States Congress and to all members of the

2-30     Texas delegation to the congress with the request that it be

2-31     officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the

2-32     Congress of the United States of America.

2-33                                  * * * * *