SRC-TJG S.B. 710 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 710 78R5446 SMH-FBy: Jackson Natural Resources 3/23/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Many areas along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline suffer some of the highest erosion rates in the state. Public infrastructure as well as residential dwellings that generate significant portions of the local property tax base are threatened by erosion rates five to ten feet per year or greater. Since many of these high erosion areas are located outside of incorporated city limits, the burden to fund the nonCERPA 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. As proposed, S.B. 710 amends CERPA to allow the commissioner of the General Land Office to designate up to one third of the CERPA appropriation to one project on the Gulf shoreline each biennium that would require no local match. This bill also increases the current 15 percent match to 25 percent for all beach nourishment projects and increases the match for bay shoreline protection and marsh restoration projects to 40 percent. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 33.603, Natural Resources Code, by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (e) and (f), as follows: (c) Makes conforming changes. (e) Requires a qualified project partner to pay certain percentages of the cost of a coastal erosion study or project. (f) Authorizes the commissioner of the General Land Office, each biennium, to undertake one large-scale beach nourishment project on a public beach without requiring a qualified project partner to pay a portion of the shared project cost if the cost of the project does not exceed one-third of the total amount appropriated to the land office for coastal erosion planning and response, notwithstanding Subsections (c) and (e). SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2003.