| 1 | 1 | | 89R1996 DRS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen H.B. No. 1836 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a study and report by the General Land Office on private |
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| 10 | 10 | | landowner participation in border security. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. STUDY. (a) The General Land Office shall |
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| 13 | 13 | | conduct a study to identify methods to increase private landowner |
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| 14 | 14 | | cooperation with state border security activities, including: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) cooperation with law enforcement relating to the |
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| 16 | 16 | | offense of criminal trespass, as described by Section 30.05, Penal |
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| 17 | 17 | | Code; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) permission granted to a state entity for: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (A) the temporary placement on a landowner's |
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| 20 | 20 | | property of personnel, equipment, and infrastructure relating to |
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| 21 | 21 | | border security; or |
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| 22 | 22 | | (B) property modification for the purpose of |
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| 23 | 23 | | supporting border security. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) The study must consider: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) methods of incentivizing private landowner |
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| 26 | 26 | | participation, including: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (A) financial incentives; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) tax abatements; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (C) infrastructure improvements; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (D) installation of utilities; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) the amount of money required to provide the |
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| 32 | 32 | | incentives described by Subdivision (1). |
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| 33 | 33 | | (c) To collect data for the study, the General Land Office |
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| 34 | 34 | | shall conduct in-person surveys and focus groups among private |
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| 35 | 35 | | landowners, including at least 10 landowners from each county |
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| 36 | 36 | | adjacent to the Texas-Mexico border, excluding Jeff Davis County, |
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| 37 | 37 | | whose parcel of real property is: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) adjacent to the Texas-Mexico border; or |
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| 39 | 39 | | (2) privately held and closest in proximity to the |
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| 40 | 40 | | Texas-Mexico border. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (d) In conducting the study, the General Land Office shall |
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| 42 | 42 | | collaborate with: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) the comptroller of public accounts; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) the Department of Public Safety of the State of |
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| 45 | 45 | | Texas; |
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| 46 | 46 | | (3) the office of the attorney general; |
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| 47 | 47 | | (4) the office of the governor; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (5) the Texas Department of Transportation; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (6) the Texas Facilities Commission; and |
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| 50 | 50 | | (7) the Texas Military Department. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2026, the |
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| 52 | 52 | | General Land Office shall submit a report on the results of the |
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| 53 | 53 | | study conducted under Section 1 of this Act to the legislature and |
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| 54 | 54 | | each entity with which the General Land Office collaborates to |
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| 55 | 55 | | conduct the study under Section 1. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires August 31, 2027. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 58 | 58 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 59 | 59 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 60 | 60 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 61 | 61 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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