BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 510

By: Perry

Land & Resource Management

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In 1992, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) was deeded a tract of land consisting of roughly 400 acres with the intention for the land to be used for a 2,000-bed unit in Breckenridge, Stephens County. However, the Walker Sayle Unit, which opened in August 1994 just outside of Breckenridge, is smaller than the originally intended unit and only occupies about 100 of those acres. There have been calls within Stephens County for TDCJ to return the unused land to the county to use for public benefit. S.B. 510 seeks to provide for this transfer.

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

S.B. 510 requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to transfer certain real property interests to Stephens County. The bill sets out the metes and bounds of that property, restricts the use of the property to a purpose that benefits the public, and provides for the property's ownership to revert back to the state automatically if the county uses the property for any other purpose. The bill requires TDCJ to transfer the property by an appropriate instrument of transfer, sets out requirements for the contents of that instrument, and requires TDCJ to retain custody of the instrument after it is filed in the county's real property records. The bill exempts the transfer from Natural Resources Code provisions governing real estate transactions authorized by the legislature and governing the School Land Board's first option to purchase real property authorized for sale by the legislature or the governor.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.