BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 908

By: Phillips

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that several years ago the states of Texas and Oklahoma entered into the Red River Boundary Compact to definitively locate the jurisdictional boundary between the two states. However, the parties note that a comparison of the location of the resulting boundary within Lake Texoma with United States Army Corps of Engineers’ historical records of such boundary appears to indicate that the boundary in the Lake Texoma area was not drawn in accordance with the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ preconstruction survey of Lake Texoma as required. Recently enacted legislation set out temporary provisions providing for the Red River Boundary Commission to work with the state of Oklahoma to redraw the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma in the Texoma area in accordance with certain documents and for the commission to issue not later than July 30, 2015, a related final report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and appropriate committees of the legislature. H.B. 908 seeks to continue to provide for the redrawing of the boundary.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 908 amends the Natural Resources Code to specify that the boundary line between Texas and Oklahoma in the Texoma area that is required to be redrawn by the Red River Boundary Commission and representatives appointed on behalf of Oklahoma in order to negate any effects the currently drawn boundary has on property interests in the Texoma area be redrawn on any real property for which the United States Army Corps of Engineers granted an easement before August 31, 2000, to at least two districts or authorities created as conservation and reclamation districts for the construction, operation, and maintenance of a water pipeline and related facilities and redrawn in such a way that there is no net loss of property between either state so as to ensure that the redrawn boundary does not increase the political power or influence of either state. The bill clarifies that the applicable property interests are those associated with those easements.

H.B. 908 extends from not later than July 30, 2015, to not later than July 30, 2017, the deadline by which the commission is required to issue a final report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and appropriate committees of the legislature and changes from December 31, 2015, to December 31, 2017, the date on which statutory provisions governing the commission expire.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.