86R6883 YDB-D
 
  By: Biedermann H.B. No. 1836
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the preservation, maintenance, and restoration of the
  Alamo Cenotaph; granting the power of eminent domain.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter I, Chapter 31, Natural Resources
  Code, is amended by adding Section 31.4515 to read as follows:
         Sec. 31.4515.  PRESERVATION, MAINTENANCE, AND RESTORATION
  OF ALAMO CENOTAPH. (a) The legislature finds that:
               (1)  as part of the Texas Centennial celebration, the
  44th Legislature:
                     (A)  appropriated money to create and conduct
  celebrations commemorating the heroic period of early Texas history
  and celebrating a century of independence and progress for Texas as
  a republic and state; and
                     (B)  created a Commission of Control for Texas
  Centennial celebrations to approve allocations of state
  appropriated money and to apply for federal money for the
  centennial celebrations to be spent under the direction and control
  of the commission;
               (2)  from federal money granted to the state, the
  Commission of Control commissioned construction of the Alamo
  Cenotaph for the benefit of the state and the public to honor heroes
  of the Alamo and other patriotic Texans; and
               (3)  on completion of the Alamo Cenotaph and its
  placement on the north plot of the Alamo Plaza, title to the
  cenotaph passed to the City of San Antonio conditioned on the city
  using the cenotaph as a memorial in honor of the heroes of the Alamo
  and only for that purpose.
         (b)  The land office has the power of eminent domain to
  acquire in the manner provided by Chapter 21, Property Code, any
  property necessary to preserve, maintain, and restore the Alamo
  Cenotaph and to carry out the purposes of this section, including
  the acquisition of the cenotaph and the land immediately underneath
  and adjacent to the cenotaph.
         (c)  Subject to Subsection (e), the land office is
  responsible for the preservation, maintenance, and restoration of
  the Alamo Cenotaph and has jurisdiction over the land immediately
  underneath and adjacent to the cenotaph. The land office shall
  determine and officially designate a reasonable amount of land as
  the land immediately underneath and adjacent to the cenotaph for
  purposes of this section.
         (d)  Any power or duty related to the Alamo Cenotaph formerly
  vested in another state agency or local governmental entity,
  including the City of San Antonio, is vested solely in the land
  office in accordance with this section.
         (e)  The governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house
  of representatives, and land commissioner must unanimously approve
  all major projects related to the preservation, maintenance, and
  restoration of the Alamo Cenotaph, including any project that
  requires movement of the cenotaph from its original location.  The
  cenotaph may not be moved to a location outside of the area that
  comprised the original Alamo Plaza.
         (f)  A local governmental entity may not exercise any control
  over the Alamo Cenotaph and the land immediately underneath and
  adjacent to the cenotaph or move the cenotaph from its original
  location in the Alamo Plaza.
         (g)  The land office shall allow the descendants of the
  heroes of the Alamo access to the Alamo Cenotaph each year on March
  6.
         (h)  A writ of mandamus and any other legal and equitable
  remedy is available to a party in interest to require the land
  office, a local governmental entity, and any other party to comply
  with this section.
         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, 2019.