S.B. 710 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


S.B. 710
By: Jackson
Land & Resource Management
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Many areas along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline are prone to high erosion
rates.  Public infrastructure and residential dwellings (that generate
significant portions of the local property tax base) are threatened by
erosion rates of five to ten feet per year or greater.  Since many of
these areas are located outside of incorporated municipal limits, the
burden to fund the non-CEPRA (Coastal Erosion Planning Response Act) match
portion of the project is often the responsibility of county governments.
Many coastal counties in Texas extend well inland, and thus competition
for funding exists for what in most cases are not wealthy jurisdictions.
During the first two cycles of the program, municipalities and navigation
districts have been able to offer larger match funding for their projects
on bay shorelines than the counties have been able to offer for Gulf
shorelines. Restructuring the CEPRA match to allow for one large-scale
project with no local match would have a substantial impact on critically
eroding Gulf beaches. 

The purpose of S.B. 710 is to assist in beach nourishment projects and
other similar projects. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 

ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.Amends Section 33.603, Natural Resources Code, as follows:

Increases the present 15% match to 25% for all beach nourishment projects
(Gulf or bay beaches) and increase the match for bay shoreline protection
and marsh restoration projects to 40%. 

Allows the Commissioner of the General Land Office  to designate up to _
of the CEPRA appropriation to one project on the Gulf shoreline each
biennium that would require no local match.  

SECTION 2.Effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.