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       By Kubiak, et al.                                       H.B. No. 32
       74R141 DRH-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the exercise of the powers of eminent domain and the
    1-3  right of entry by the Texas High-Speed Rail Authority.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 6(b), Texas High-Speed Rail Act (Article
    1-6  6674v.2, Revised Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (b)  The board may:
    1-8              (1)  accept donations, contributions, grants, or gifts
    1-9  from any source for any purpose; however, legislative
   1-10  appropriations or other state funds may be used only for planning
   1-11  but not for financing, acquisition, construction, maintenance, or
   1-12  operation of the high-speed rail facility;
   1-13              (2)  acquire by contract purchase, grant, purchase,
   1-14  gift, devise, lease, or contribution from any source and hold, use,
   1-15  sell, lease, or dispose of any property, including property of a
   1-16  franchisee;
   1-17              (3)  grant a franchise for the financing, construction,
   1-18  improvement, use, or operation of all or part of a high-speed rail
   1-19  facility in incorporated and unincorporated areas of the state;
   1-20              (4)  use, close, relocate, raise, reroute, impact,
   1-21  change the grade of, or alter the construction of a street, alley,
   1-22  highway, or road with the approval of the Texas <State> Department
   1-23  of <Highways and Public> Transportation and may also close,
   1-24  relocate, change the grade of, or alter the construction of a
    2-1  railroad, electric line, electric facility, telegraph and telephone
    2-2  property or facility, pipeline, pipeline facility, or other
    2-3  property, whether publicly or privately owned, as necessary or
    2-4  useful in the construction, reconstruction, repair, maintenance, or
    2-5  operation of a high-speed rail facility, at the expense of the
    2-6  authority which in all cases must be reimbursed by the franchisee
    2-7  or others pursuant to this Act;
    2-8              (5)  regulate outdoor advertising, signs, junkyards,
    2-9  and automobile graveyards located adjacent to a right-of-way of the
   2-10  authority in the same manner that the Texas <State Highway and
   2-11  Public> Transportation Commission regulates such uses and
   2-12  conditions along the main traveled way of the interstate or primary
   2-13  highway systems under Article IV, Section 1, Chapter 741, Acts of
   2-14  the 67th Legislature, Regular Session, 1981 (Article 4477-9a,
   2-15  Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes);
   2-16              (6)  employ and remove any person, firm, partnership,
   2-17  or corporation considered necessary by the board for the conduct of
   2-18  the affairs of the authority, including a general manager,
   2-19  bookkeepers, auditors, engineers, attorneys, financial advisors,
   2-20  and advisors;
   2-21              (7)  receive services from the state, the Railroad
   2-22  Commission of Texas, the Texas Department of Commerce, the Texas
   2-23  <State> Department of <Highways and Public> Transportation, the
   2-24  Texas Turnpike Authority, other state agency having statewide
   2-25  jurisdiction, or any county, municipal corporation, or other
   2-26  political subdivision of the state for the acquisition of a
   2-27  high-speed rail facility;
    3-1              (8)  adopt and implement rules and management policies
    3-2  including those for the investment of public funds necessary to
    3-3  implement this Act; and
    3-4              (9)  <exercise the power of eminent domain provided the
    3-5  cost thereof is paid by the franchisee; and>
    3-6              <(10)>  in performing its duties under this Act,
    3-7  contract or cooperate with any person, corporation, or entity.
    3-8        SECTION 2.  Section 6(b), Texas High-Speed Rail Act (Article
    3-9  6674v.2, Revised Statutes), as amended by Section 4.02, Chapter 7,
   3-10  Acts of the 72nd Legislature, 1st Called Session, 1991, to take
   3-11  effect September 1, 1995, is amended to read as follows:
   3-12        (b)  The Railroad Commission of Texas may:
   3-13              (1)  accept donations, contributions, grants, or gifts
   3-14  from any source for any purpose; however, legislative
   3-15  appropriations or other state funds may be used only for planning
   3-16  but not for financing, acquisition, construction, maintenance, or
   3-17  operation of the high-speed rail facility;
   3-18              (2)  acquire by contract purchase, grant, purchase,
   3-19  gift, devise, lease, or contribution from any source and hold, use,
   3-20  sell, lease, or dispose of any property, including property of a
   3-21  franchisee;
   3-22              (3)  grant a franchise for the financing, construction,
   3-23  improvement, use, or operation of all or part of a high-speed rail
   3-24  facility in incorporated and unincorporated areas of the state;
   3-25              (4)  use, close, relocate, raise, reroute, impact,
   3-26  change the grade of, or alter the construction of a street, alley,
   3-27  highway, or road with the approval of the Texas Department of
    4-1  Transportation and may also close, relocate, change the grade of,
    4-2  or alter the construction of a railroad, electric line, electric
    4-3  facility, telegraph and telephone property or facility, pipeline,
    4-4  pipeline facility, or other property, whether publicly or privately
    4-5  owned, as necessary or useful in the construction, reconstruction,
    4-6  repair, maintenance, or operation of a high-speed rail facility, at
    4-7  the expense of the authority which in all cases must be reimbursed
    4-8  by the franchisee or others pursuant to this Act;
    4-9              (5)  regulate outdoor advertising, signs, junkyards,
   4-10  and automobile graveyards located adjacent to a right-of-way of the
   4-11  authority in the same manner that the Texas Transportation
   4-12  Commission regulates such uses and conditions along the main
   4-13  traveled way of the interstate or primary highway systems under
   4-14  Article V, Section 1, Chapter 741, Acts of the 67th Legislature,
   4-15  Regular Session, 1981 (Article 4477-9a, Vernon's Texas Civil
   4-16  Statutes);
   4-17              (6)  employ and remove any person, firm, partnership,
   4-18  or corporation considered necessary by the board for the conduct of
   4-19  the affairs of the authority, including a general manager,
   4-20  bookkeepers, auditors, engineers, attorneys, financial advisors,
   4-21  and advisors;
   4-22              (7)  receive services from the state, the Texas
   4-23  Department of Commerce, the Texas Department of Transportation,
   4-24  other state agencies having statewide jurisdiction, or any county,
   4-25  municipal corporation, or other political subdivision of the state
   4-26  for the acquisition of a high-speed rail facility;
   4-27              (8)  adopt and implement rules and management policies
    5-1  including those for the investment of public funds necessary to
    5-2  implement this Act; and
    5-3              (9)  <exercise the power of eminent domain provided the
    5-4  cost thereof is paid by the franchisee; and>
    5-5              <(10)>  in performing its duties under this Act,
    5-6  contract or cooperate with any person, corporation, or entity.
    5-7        SECTION 3.  Section 12, Texas High-Speed Rail Act (Article
    5-8  6674v.2, Revised Statutes), is repealed.
    5-9        SECTION 4.  Section 12(f), Texas High-Speed Rail Act (Article
   5-10  6674v.2, Revised Statutes), as amended by Section 4.05, Chapter 7,
   5-11  Acts of the 72nd Legislature, 1st Called Session, 1991, to take
   5-12  effect September 1, 1995, is repealed.
   5-13        SECTION 5.  Section 16, Texas High-Speed Rail Act (Article
   5-14  6674v.2, Revised Statutes), is repealed.
   5-15        SECTION 6.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
   5-16  section, this Act takes effect immediately.
   5-17        (b)  Sections 2 and 4 of this Act take effect September 1,
   5-18  1995.
   5-19        SECTION 7.  The importance of this legislation and the
   5-20  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   5-21  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   5-22  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   5-23  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   5-24  and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its
   5-25  terms, and it is so enacted.
 

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