| TO: | Honorable Kip Averitt, Chair, Senate Committee on Natural Resources |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2387 by Bonnen (Relating to the authority of the General Land Office to undertake coastal erosion studies and projects in conjunction with qualified project partners.), As Engrossed |
The bill would allow the General Land Office (GLO) to conduct studies relating to the removal and relocation of structures from public beaches, including the purchase of property located on a public beach, and the acquisition by eminent domain of property necessary for the construction, reconstruction, maintenance, widening, or extension of an erosion response project.
The bill also would allow the Land Commissioner to conduct at least one erosion response project without requiring matching funds from a project partner if the total cost of such a projects funded with a matching funds requirement does not exceed one-half of the amount of funds appropriated for coastal erosion planning and response. The bill also would allow the Land Commissioner to set the percentage of required matching funds for project partners for the purchase of property on the public beach and the acquisition of property by eminent domain for an erosion response project.
Any costs incurred by the GLO in conducting studies as a result of the bill's passage are expected to be absorbed within the agency's current budget. The bill's matching fund exemption provision is not expected to result in additional costs to the agency since the funds would be from amounts already appropriated to the agency for coastal erosion response.
| Source Agencies: | 305 General Land Office and Veterans' Land Board
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, SD, TL
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