By: Pickett (Senate Sponsor - RodrÃguez) H.B. No. 1754
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 18, 2015;
May 18, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Business
and Commerce; May 22, 2015, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 6, Nays 1; May 22, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the conveyance of property by a municipality for the
public purpose of economic development.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 253, Local Government Code, is amended
by adding Section 253.0125 to read as follows:
Sec. 253.0125. CONVEYANCE OF PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES. (a) This section applies only to an entity
and a municipality that have entered into an economic development
agreement authorized by Chapter 380.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 272.001(a) or other law, a
municipality may transfer to an entity real property or an interest
in real property for consideration described by this section.
(c) Consideration for a transfer authorized by this section
is in the form of an agreement between the parties that requires the
entity to use the property in a manner that primarily promotes a
public purpose of the municipality relating to economic
development. The agreement must include provisions under which the
municipality is granted sufficient control to ensure that the
public purpose is accomplished and the municipality receives the
return benefit.
(d) Before making a transfer under an agreement as provided
by this section, the municipality shall provide notice to the
general public published in a newspaper of general circulation in
the county in which the property is located or, if there is no such
newspaper, in an adjoining county. The notice must:
(1) include a description of the real property,
including its location; and
(2) be published on two separate days within 10 days
before the date the property is transferred.
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, 2015.
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