By Turner of Coleman                                   H.B. No. 428
         76R753 DWS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to certain contracts entered by a rural rail
 1-3     transportation district.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 5, Chapter 623, Acts of the 67th
 1-6     Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 6550c, Vernon's Texas
 1-7     Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Subsection (r) to read as
 1-8     follows:
 1-9           (r)  A district may not enter a sale, lease, or other
1-10     contract that relates to a rail line of the district and under
1-11     which another party to the  contract would have the ability to
1-12     discontinue transportation service over the rail line unless the
1-13     contract provides that on the taking of an action by the party to
1-14     discontinue service over the rail line the contract becomes void
1-15     and title to the rail line and all right to operate over the rail
1-16     line reverts to the district.
1-17           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-18           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.