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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation and operation of the Northeast Texas Trail |
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State Park. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 22, Parks and Wildlife Code, is amended |
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by adding Subchapter U to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER U. NORTHEAST TEXAS TRAIL |
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Sec. 22.2701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Northeast Texas Trail" means the land between |
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Farmersville and New Boston originally held as railway |
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rights-of-way by the Union Pacific and the Chaparral Railroads, |
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released for rail banking through the Surface Transportation Board |
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of the United States Department of Transportation. The term |
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includes rights-of-way converted in part to a trail by a nonprofit |
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entity. |
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(2) "Park" means the Northeast Texas Trail State Park. |
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(3) "Transportation department" means the Texas |
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Department of Transportation. |
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Sec. 22.2702. ACQUISITION AND CREATION. (a) The |
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department shall acquire land, including by means of a long-term |
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lease, necessary to form a continuous linear state park along the |
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area known as the Northeast Texas Trail. The department may enter |
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into an interlocal agreement with a municipality or county that |
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owns or controls land to be acquired under this section in lieu of |
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acquiring a lease or title to the land. |
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(b) On the acquisition of land described by Subsection (a), |
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the department shall create the Northeast Texas Trail State Park. |
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Sec. 22.2703. TRAIL COMPLETION AND MAINTENANCE. (a) On the |
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creation of the park under Section 22.2702, the transportation |
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department shall complete conversion of the former railroad |
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right-of-way into a trail and complete other improvements and |
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structures necessary to the function of the park. The |
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transportation department may reroute the trail if necessary to |
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avoid the construction of major bridges, and the department shall |
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adjust the park's boundaries as necessary. |
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(b) The transportation department shall maintain the trail, |
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improvements, and structures constructed under Subsection (a). |
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Sec. 22.2704. OPERATION. (a) Except as provided by |
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Subsection (b), the department shall operate the park, including by |
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providing the administration and staff for the park. |
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(b) The department may enter into operational partnerships |
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with political subdivisions in which a portion of the park is |
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located for the operation of that portion of the park. |
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Sec. 22.2705. GIFTS AND GRANTS. The department and the |
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transportation department may accept gifts and grants to pay for |
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actions authorized under this subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Parks department" means the Parks and Wildlife |
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Department. |
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(2) "Study" means the study authorized under this |
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section. |
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(3) "Transportation department" means the Texas |
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Department of Transportation. |
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(b) The parks department shall conduct, in cooperation with |
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the transportation department, a study regarding the operational |
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needs of the Northeast Texas Trail State Park, as that park would |
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exist if it were created as authorized under Section 22.2702, Parks |
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and Wildlife Code, as added by this Act. |
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(c) The study shall include: |
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(1) staffing requirements of the park; |
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(2) equipment and facilities necessary to operate the |
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park; and |
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(3) operational requirements of the park. |
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(d) Not later than September 1, 2021, the parks department |
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shall deliver the results of the study to the standing committees of |
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the house and senate having jurisdiction over parks. |
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SECTION 3. If the Northeast Texas Trail State Park is |
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created under Section 22.2702, Parks and Wildlife Code, as added by |
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this Act, the Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas |
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Department of Transportation shall enter into a memorandum of |
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understanding regarding the maintenance and operation of the park. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |