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By: Bonnen, Lucio III, Leibowitz |
H.B. No. 2074 |
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(Senate Sponsor - Hegar) |
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(In the Senate - Received from the House April 16, 2009; |
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April 16, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on |
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Natural Resources; April 22, 2009, reported favorably by the |
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following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 22, 2009, sent to printer.) |
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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the designation by the commissioner of the General Land |
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Office of critical coastal erosion areas for purposes of the |
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coastal erosion response plan. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 33.602, Natural Resources Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (e) to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The commissioner shall publish and periodically update |
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a coastal erosion response plan. The commissioner shall develop |
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the plan in coordination with state and federal agencies and local |
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governments and provide for public input on the plan. The plan must |
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identify critical coastal erosion areas designated by the |
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commissioner and prioritize coastal erosion response studies and |
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projects so that: |
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(1) benefits are balanced among areas throughout the |
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coast designated by the commissioner as critical coastal erosion |
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areas; |
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(2) federal and local financial participation is |
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maximized; |
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(3) studies and projects are scheduled to achieve |
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efficiencies and economies of scale; and |
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(4) the severity of erosion effects in each area is |
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taken into account. |
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(e) In order to determine which areas should be designated |
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as critical coastal erosion areas and guide the allocation of |
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resources, the commissioner may conduct a coast-wide analysis of |
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the costs and benefits of coastal erosion avoidance, remediation, |
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and planning. An analysis conducted under this subsection may |
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consider: |
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(1) historical erosion rates in an area; |
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(2) the elevation of an area adjacent to the |
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shoreline; |
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(3) the presence of critical infrastructure in an area |
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adjacent to the shoreline; |
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(4) the population density of an area adjacent to the |
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shoreline; |
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(5) the presence of economic activity conducted in an |
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area adjacent to the shoreline; |
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(6) the presence of critical natural resources in an |
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area adjacent to the shoreline; |
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(7) anthropogenic contributions to erosion; and |
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(8) any other factor identified as relevant by the |
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commissioner. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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