| 5 | 3 | | |
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| 6 | 4 | | |
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| 7 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 7 | | relating to a study by the General Land Office regarding the |
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| 10 | 8 | | feasibility of creating a mechanism by which a governmental entity |
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| 11 | 9 | | could acquire small parcels of real property in an area and convey |
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| 12 | 10 | | them to a developer in order to ensure the property is developed in |
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| 13 | 11 | | compliance with model subdivision rules. |
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| 14 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 15 | 13 | | SECTION 1. (a) The General Land Office shall conduct a |
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| 16 | 14 | | study of the feasibility of establishing a mechanism by which a |
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| 17 | 15 | | governmental entity could: |
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| 18 | 16 | | (1) acquire contiguous small parcels of real property |
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| 19 | 17 | | that: |
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| 20 | 18 | | (A) have nominal value; and |
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| 21 | 19 | | (B) are located in a county that has a population |
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| 22 | 20 | | of more than 800,000 and is located on the international border; |
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| 23 | 21 | | (2) combine the properties in a manner that makes the |
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| 24 | 22 | | properties marketable for development; and |
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| 25 | 23 | | (3) convey the properties for development in a manner |
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| 26 | 24 | | that complies with standards prescribed by model subdivision rules |
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| 27 | 25 | | adopted under Section 16.343, Water Code. |
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| 28 | 26 | | (b) The study conducted under this section must: |
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| 29 | 27 | | (1) establish methods for identifying property |
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| 30 | 28 | | suitable for acquisition; |
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| 31 | 29 | | (2) establish methods for identifying owners of |
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| 32 | 30 | | property considered suitable for acquisition; |
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| 33 | 31 | | (3) identify appropriate methods of acquiring, |
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| 34 | 32 | | holding title to, and conveying the property and include an |
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| 35 | 33 | | analysis of the appropriateness of acquiring the property through |
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| 36 | 34 | | the use of a land trust or another mechanism; |
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| 37 | 35 | | (4) identify appropriate methods of compensating the |
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| 38 | 36 | | owners of the property acquired; |
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| 39 | 37 | | (5) identify any appropriate land use or development |
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| 40 | 38 | | requirements or restrictions for the property; and |
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| 41 | 39 | | (6) identify any legislative action necessary to |
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| 42 | 40 | | facilitate the establishment of a mechanism described by this |
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| 43 | 41 | | section. |
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| 44 | 42 | | (c) Not later than December 1, 2016, the General Land Office |
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| 45 | 43 | | shall provide to the legislature a report containing the results of |
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| 46 | 44 | | the study conducted under this section. |
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| 47 | 45 | | SECTION 2. The General Land Office is required to implement |
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| 48 | 46 | | this Act only if the office receives donations to cover the cost of |
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| 49 | 47 | | conducting the study required by Section 1 of this Act in an amount |
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| 50 | 48 | | sufficient for that purpose. |
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| 51 | 49 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 52 | 50 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 53 | 51 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 54 | 52 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 55 | 53 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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