BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2316

By: Márquez

Land & Resource Management

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current state law authorizes the General Land Office to sell real property owned by the state directly to a political subdivision or certain development corporations, if authorized by the legislature or approved by the governor. Interested parties point to a recent situation in which one of the three federally recognized Indian tribes in Texas was not permitted to purchase certain state property for sale because of that law and contend that the inclusion of these Indian tribes that have the right to self-government and are eligible for certain federal services and programs among the entities that may directly purchase real property owned by the state would ensure that state-owned lands can be sold in the future to entities that have a historical and modern vested interest within Texas. H.B. 2316 seeks to provide for this inclusion.

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. 2316 amends the Natural Resources Code to include a federally recognized Indian tribe among the entities to which the asset management division of the General Land Office (GLO) is authorized to sell real property owned by the state that the legislature has authorized or the governor has approved for sale, contingent on the determination of the commissioner of the GLO that the sale is in the best interest of the state.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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