Art. 5414a-1. VALIDATING DEEDS OF ACQUITTANCE ON LANDS LYING ACROSS OR PARTLY ACROSS WATER COURSES OR NAVIGABLE STREAMS.

Sec. 1. All deeds of acquittance to lands lying across or partly across water courses or navigable streams and all deeds of acquittance covering or including the beds or abandoned beds of water courses or navigable streams or parts thereof, which deeds of acquittance have been issued and outstanding for a period of ten years from the date thereof and have not been cancelled or forfeited, are hereby confirmed and validated.

Sec. 2. The State of Texas hereby relinquishes, quit claims and grants to grantees and their assignees all of the lands, and minerals therein contained, lying across, or partly across water courses or navigable streams, which lands are included in surveys heretofore made, and to which lands deeds of acquittance have been issued and outstanding for a period of ten years from the date thereof and have not been cancelled or forfeited; and the State of Texas hereby relinquishes, quit claims and grants to grantees and their assignees all of the beds, and minerals therein contained, of water courses or navigable streams and also all of the abandoned beds, and minerals therein contained, of water courses or navigable streams, which beds or abandoned beds or parts thereof are included in surveys heretofore made, and to which beds or abandoned beds, or parts thereof, deeds of acquittance have been issued and outstanding for a period of ten years from the date thereof, and have not been cancelled or forfeited; provided that nothing in this Act contained shall impair the rights of the general public and the State in the waters of streams or the rights of riparian and appropriation owners in the waters of such streams; and provided further, that with respect to lands sold by the State of Texas expressly reserving title to minerals in the State, such reservation shall not be affected by this Act; nor shall the State of Texas relinquish or quit claim any number of acres of land in excess of the number of acres of land conveyed to said grantees in the deeds of acquittance granted by the State, but the grantees and their assignees shall have the same rights, title and interest in the minerals in the beds or abandoned beds, or parts thereof, of such water courses or navigable streams, that they have in the uplands covered by the same deed of acquittance; provided that this Act shall not in anyway affect the State's title, right or interest in and to the sand and gravel lying within the bed of any navigable stream within this State, as defined by Article 5302, Revised Statutes of 1925.

Sec. 3. All of the provisions of this Act shall apply equally to all Spanish and Mexican land grants and titles issued by the Spanish or Mexican governments prior to the Texas Revolution of 1836, which have subsequently been recognized by the Republic of Texas, or by the State of Texas, as valid.

Sec. 4. No provision of this Act shall affect the rights of any parties involved in pending litigation at the effective date of this Act. The provisions of this Act are and shall be held and construed to be cumulative of all laws of this State on the subject treated of and embraced in this Act. All laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. If any section, subdivision, paragraph, sentence or clause of this Act shall be held to be unconstitutional, the remaining portions of this Act shall nevertheless be held valid and binding.

Acts 1955, 54th Leg., p. 660, ch. 232.