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.