1-1     By:  Galloway                                         S.B. No. 1922

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed April 2, 1997; April 8, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources;

 1-4     April 21, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 10,

 1-5     Nays 0; April 21, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the definition of coastal wetlands for purposes of the

 1-9     coastal management program administered by the Coastal Coordination

1-10     Council.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Subdivision (7), Section 33.203, Natural

1-13     Resources Code, is amended to read as follows:

1-14                 (7)  "Coastal wetlands" means wetlands, as the term is

1-15     defined by Section 11.502, Water Code, located:

1-16                       (A)  seaward of the coastal facility designation

1-17     line established by rules adopted under Chapter 40;

1-18                       (B)  within rivers and streams, to the extent of

1-19     tidal influence, as shown on the Texas Natural Resource

1-20     Conservation Commission's stream segment maps, excluding the

1-21     portion of the Trinity River located in Liberty County;

1-22                       (C)  within one mile of the mean high tide of the

1-23     portion of river and stream described by Paragraph (B), except as

1-24     provided by Paragraphs (D) and (E);

1-25                       (D)  in the case of wetlands bordering the

1-26     portion of the Trinity River to which [described by] Paragraph (B)

1-27     applies:

1-28                             (i)  within the area located between the

1-29     mean high tide line on the western shoreline of that portion of the

1-30     river and Farm-to-Market Road 565 and Farm-to-Market Road 1409; or

1-31                             (ii)  within the area located between the

1-32     mean high tide line on the eastern shoreline of that portion of the

1-33     river and Farm-to-Market Road 563; or

1-34                       (E)  in the case of wetlands bordering the

1-35     portion of the Neches River described by Paragraph (B):

1-36                             (i)  within one mile from the mean high

1-37     tide line of the western shoreline of that portion of the river

1-38     described by Paragraph (B); or

1-39                             (ii)  within the area located between the

1-40     mean high tide line on the eastern shoreline of that portion of the

1-41     river and Farm-to-Market Road 105.

1-42           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-43     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-44     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-45     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-46     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-47     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-48     passage, and it is so enacted.

1-49                                  * * * * *