By: Nichols  S.B. No. 1657
         (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2007; March 21, 2007, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Transportation and Homeland
  Security; April 2, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 2, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to powers and duties of the Texas Department of
  Transportation related to relocation assistance.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subsection (c), Section 227.041, Transportation
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (c)  Unless in conflict with this chapter, all laws governing
  the acquisition of right-of-way for a state highway apply to the
  acquisition of right-of-way for the Trans-Texas Corridor,
  including any law granting a power or imposing a duty related to
  providing relocation assistance to a property owner from whom the
  department acquires property. Sections 203.056, 203.057, and
  203.058 apply to an acquisition by the department from a state
  agency. Compensation to a state agency under those sections shall
  be reasonable and may take the form of a single payment, a
  participation payment under Section 227.042, or both a single
  payment and a participation payment.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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