HBA-ALS H.B. 1996 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1996
By: McClendon
Land & Resource Management
4/20/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The purpose of this bill is to transfer state property located in San
Antonio to Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church thereby enabling the
church to better serve the community  and ensure adequate parking for civic
events.  H.B. 1996 requires the General Services Commission to transfer,
for consideration, specified real property to the Bethel African Methodist
Episcopal Church.  This bill allows such consideration to be in the form of
an agreement that requires the church to use the property for a purpose
that benefits the state's public interest and that provides for the
property's reversion to the state if the property ceases to be used for
that purpose. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
  
SECTION 1. (a) Requires the General Services Commission (commission) to
transfer for consideration real property located in San Antonio, Texas, and
described in Subsection (d) of this section, to Bethel African Methodist
Episcopal Church (church). 

(b)  Requires the consideration for the transfer to be in the form of an
agreement between the parties requiring the church to use the property for
a purpose that benefits the public interest of the state. Authorizes the
church, under the terms of the agreement, to use the property transferred
under this Act only for a purpose that benefits the public interest of the
state. Provides that under the terms of the agreement, ownership of the
property automatically reverts to the commission if the church no longer
uses the property for a purpose that benefits the public interest of the
state.  

(c)  Requires the commission to transfer the property by an appropriate
instrument of transfer.  Provides that the instrument of transfer must
include a provision that requires the church to use the property for a
purpose that benefits the public interest of the state and that indicates
that property ownership automatically reverts to the commission if the
church no longer uses the property for a purpose that benefits the public
interest of the state.  

(d)  Sets forth a description of the real property referred to in this
section.  

SECTION 2.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.