The commission may acquire needed property, but it cannot acquire certain minerals or condemn certain land except in stated circumstances. State agencies or subdivisions may also convey needed title, rights, or easements to the commission without advertisement.
Sec. 51.005. LAND ACQUISITION. (a) The commission may acquire by gift, purchase, or condemnation property or an interest in property that the commission considers necessary to enable it to meet its responsibilities under this chapter, including, except as provided by Subsection (b)(3), easements and rights-of-way for dredge material disposal sites or channel alteration. (b) The commission may not: (1) acquire oil, gas, sulphur, or other minerals that may be recovered without using the surface of land acquired by the commission for exploration, drilling, or mining purposes; (2) condemn any submerged public land under the jurisdiction of the School Land Board; or (3) condemn private property along Reach 1, Reach 2, Reach 4, Reach 5, and Reach 6 of the Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway as defined by the Draft Laguna Madre GIWW Dredged Material Management Plan prepared by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Interagency Coordination Team dated October 11, 2002, for use as a disposal site for dredged material from the Laguna Madre unless the commission determines that: (A) there is no state or federal land available that can be used for that purpose; and (B) the state's failure to acquire the property will result in the closure of any segment of the Gulf Coast Intracoastal Waterway located in this state. (c) An agency or political subdivision of the state may convey, without advertisement, title or rights and easements owned by the agency or political subdivision to any property the commission needs to meet its responsibilities under this chapter. (d) Repealed by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 191, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1457, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 191, Sec. 2, 4 eff. Sept. 1, 2003.