HBA-AMW H.B. 2320 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2320
By: Talton
Land & Resource Management
3/21/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Houston has been working for years to bring new businesses to, and
stimulate the redevelopment of, Ellington Field, a joint use civil and
military airport.  Often, businesses present proposals that may create
additional revenue and economic revitalization for Ellington Field, but
negotiations are stalled or halted because the Houston Airport System (HAS)
can only offer long-term leases or the sale of the requisite property
through the sealed bid process.  Concerns have been raised that the current
process of disposing of surplus airport property is time consuming and may
constrain HAS from successfully redeveloping Ellington Field.  House Bill
2320 authorizes a municipality with a population of 1.6 million or more to
dispose of  property related to a former military installation or air
navigation facility in the manner or terms the municipality considers to be
in the best interest of the municipality provided that such disposal is
targeted toward redevelopment of the property. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2320 amends the Transportation Code to authorize a municipality
with a population of 1.6 million or more to exchange, convey, sell, lease,
or otherwise dispose of land or any interest in real property related to a
former military installation or air navigation facility, in the manner or
on the terms the municipality considers to be in the best interest of the
municipality, provided that such an exchange, conveyance, sale, lease, or
other disposal is carried out as a component of targeted redevelopment of
such real property with aerospace, aviation, or aircraft manufacturing
firms of other airport-related industrial parks or communities.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.