By: Pickett, Ortega, Moody, Blanco H.B. No. 1352
 
 
 
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 253.008 or 272.001(a) or other
  law, a municipality, except as provided by Subsection (d), 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)  A municipality may not transfer for consideration
  authorized by this section real property or an interest in real
  property the municipality owns, holds, or claims as a public square
  or park.
         (e)  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, by any means for the municipality to provide public
  notice authorized by statute or by ordinance of the municipality.
  The notice must:
               (1)  include a description of the real property,
  including its location;
               (2)  be provided within 10 days before the date the
  property or an interest in the property is transferred; and
               (3)  be published for two separate days within the
  period prescribed by Subdivision (2), if the notice is published in
  a newspaper.
         (f)  A municipality may not transfer real property for
  consideration described by this section if the real property was
  acquired by the municipality from the previous owner by the
  exercise of eminent domain authority or the threat of the exercise
  of eminent domain authority.  The prohibition provided by this
  subsection does not apply if:
               (1)  the municipality offers the previous owner an
  opportunity to repurchase the real property at the current market
  value and the previous owner declines the offer; or
               (2)  the municipality cannot locate the previous owner
  with reasonable effort.
         (g)  This section does not constitute a grant or expansion of
  eminent domain authority.
         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, 2017.