Bill Text: TX HB3470 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the authority of the attorney general to acquire by eminent domain certain real property owned by aliens or foreign entities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-16 - Referred to State Affairs [HB3470 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB3470-Introduced.html
88R10057 DRS-D | ||
By: Spiller | H.B. No. 3470 |
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relating to the authority of the attorney general to acquire by | ||
eminent domain certain real property owned by aliens or foreign | ||
entities. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Title 4, Property Code, is amended by adding | ||
Chapter 21A to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 21A. ACQUISITION BY EMINENT DOMAIN OF CERTAIN | ||
FOREIGN-OWNED REAL PROPERTY | ||
Sec. 21A.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Alien" means a citizen of a country other than the | ||
United States. | ||
(2) "Critical infrastructure" means infrastructure in | ||
one of the following categories: | ||
(A) chemical; | ||
(B) commercial facilities; | ||
(C) communications; | ||
(D) critical manufacturing; | ||
(E) dams; | ||
(F) defense industrial bases; | ||
(G) emergency services; | ||
(H) energy; | ||
(I) financial services; | ||
(J) food and agriculture; | ||
(K) government facilities; | ||
(L) health care and public health; | ||
(M) information technology; | ||
(N) nuclear reactors, materials, and waste; | ||
(O) transportation systems; or | ||
(P) water and wastewater systems. | ||
(3) "Foreign" means created or organized in a country | ||
other than the United States or under the law of a country other | ||
than the United States. | ||
Sec. 21A.002. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies to real | ||
property in this state that is owned by an alien, foreign business, | ||
or foreign government, or an agent, trustee, or fiduciary of an | ||
alien, foreign business, or foreign government. | ||
Sec. 21A.003. EMINENT DOMAIN; COURT PROCEEDING. (a) The | ||
attorney general may bring an action to obtain a court order under | ||
Subsection (c) authorizing the attorney general to initiate an | ||
eminent domain proceeding to acquire real property owned by an | ||
alien or foreign entity as described by Section 21A.002 if the | ||
attorney general has reason to believe and shows that the real | ||
property is being used in a manner that: | ||
(1) violates state or federal law; or | ||
(2) creates a risk to the state's critical | ||
infrastructure. | ||
(b) An action under this section may be brought in a | ||
district court in the county where all or part of the real property | ||
that is the subject of the action is located. | ||
(c) If the district court finds that the attorney general | ||
has made the showing required by Subsection (a), the court shall | ||
enter an order stating that finding. | ||
(d) On entry of the district court's order under Subsection | ||
(c), the attorney general may initiate eminent domain proceedings | ||
to acquire the real property. | ||
(e) Chapter 21 governs the procedure for an eminent domain | ||
proceeding initiated in accordance with this chapter. Chapter 2206, | ||
Government Code, and Subchapter E, Chapter 21, of this code do not | ||
apply to an eminent domain proceeding initiated in accordance with | ||
this chapter. | ||
Sec. 21A.004. STATE MANAGEMENT OF ACQUIRED REAL PROPERTY. | ||
Real property acquired by eminent domain under Section 21A.003 | ||
shall be owned by this state and managed by the General Land Office. | ||
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, the attorney general shall adopt rules for the | ||
implementation of Chapter 21A, Property Code, as added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |