Bill Text: TX SB739 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation and operation of the Northeast Texas Trail State Park.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-01 - Referred to Transportation [SB739 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB739-Introduced.html
| 86R8701 SLB-D | ||
| By: Hughes | S.B. No. 739 | |
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| relating to the creation and operation of the Northeast Texas Trail | ||
| State Park. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 22, Parks and Wildlife Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Subchapter U to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER U. NORTHEAST TEXAS TRAIL | ||
| Sec. 22.2701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Northeast Texas Trail" means the land between | ||
| Farmersville and New Boston originally held as railway | ||
| rights-of-way by the Union Pacific and the Chaparral Railroads, | ||
| released for rail banking through the Surface Transportation Board | ||
| of the United States Department of Transportation. The term | ||
| includes rights-of-way converted in part to a trail by a nonprofit | ||
| entity. | ||
| (2) "Park" means the Northeast Texas Trail State Park. | ||
| (3) "Transportation department" means the Texas | ||
| Department of Transportation. | ||
| Sec. 22.2702. ACQUISITION AND CREATION. (a) The | ||
| department shall acquire land, including by means of a long-term | ||
| lease, necessary to form a continuous linear state park along the | ||
| area known as the Northeast Texas Trail. The department may enter | ||
| into an interlocal agreement with a municipality or county that | ||
| owns or controls land to be acquired under this section in lieu of | ||
| acquiring a lease or title to the land. | ||
| (b) On the acquisition of land described by Subsection (a), | ||
| the department shall create the Northeast Texas Trail State Park. | ||
| Sec. 22.2703. TRAIL COMPLETION AND MAINTENANCE. (a) On the | ||
| creation of the park under Section 22.2702, the transportation | ||
| department shall complete conversion of the former railroad | ||
| right-of-way into a trail and complete other improvements and | ||
| structures necessary to the function of the park. The | ||
| transportation department may reroute the trail if necessary to | ||
| avoid the construction of major bridges, and the department shall | ||
| adjust the park's boundaries as necessary. | ||
| (b) The transportation department shall maintain the trail, | ||
| improvements, and structures constructed under Subsection (a). | ||
| Sec. 22.2704. OPERATION. (a) Except as provided by | ||
| Subsection (b), the department shall operate the park, including by | ||
| providing the administration and staff for the park. | ||
| (b) The department may enter into operational partnerships | ||
| with political subdivisions in which a portion of the park is | ||
| located for the operation of that portion of the park. | ||
| Sec. 22.2705. GIFTS AND GRANTS. The department and the | ||
| transportation department may accept gifts and grants to pay for | ||
| actions authorized under this subchapter. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Parks department" means the Parks and Wildlife | ||
| Department. | ||
| (2) "Study" means the study authorized under this | ||
| section. | ||
| (3) "Transportation department" means the Texas | ||
| Department of Transportation. | ||
| (b) The parks department shall conduct, in cooperation with | ||
| the transportation department, a study regarding the operational | ||
| needs of the Northeast Texas Trail State Park, as that park would | ||
| exist if it were created as authorized under Section 22.2702, Parks | ||
| and Wildlife Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| (c) The study shall include: | ||
| (1) staffing requirements of the park; | ||
| (2) equipment and facilities necessary to operate the | ||
| park; and | ||
| (3) operational requirements of the park. | ||
| (d) Not later than September 1, 2021, the parks department | ||
| shall deliver the results of the study to the standing committees of | ||
| the house and senate having jurisdiction over parks. | ||
| SECTION 3. If the Northeast Texas Trail State Park is | ||
| created under Section 22.2702, Parks and Wildlife Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, the Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas | ||
| Department of Transportation shall enter into a memorandum of | ||
| understanding regarding the maintenance and operation of the park. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
