83R8388 BPG-D
 
  By: Hunter, Herrero, Lozano, Lucio III H.C.R. No. 56
 
 
 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
         WHEREAS, The cruise operations in the homeport of Galveston
  have an enormous economic impact on Texas; the city hosted some
  655,000 passenger and crew visits in 2011, which accounted for
  $1.13 billion in direct spending; in addition, the industry was
  responsible for generating over 17,300 Texas jobs and paying $917
  million in wage income; and
         WHEREAS, South of Galveston, between Calhoun and Cameron
  Counties, Texas is home to several growing cities, robust tourism,
  and a wealth of natural resources; the area also hosts three major
  deepwater ports, any of which might be a viable site for a cruise
  line headquarters or a port of embarkation; and
         WHEREAS, Florida and California, respectively, benefit the
  most from the North American cruise industry; Florida operates five
  cruise ports, including Port Canaveral, Port Everglades,
  Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa, and California is home to four, in
  Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, and San Francisco; an
  additional Texas cruise ship port between Calhoun and Cameron
  Counties could offer an attractive vacation option for a
  significant portion of the state's residents and be an economic
  boon to the state as a whole; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
  of representatives to provide for a joint interim legislative study
  regarding the development of a cruise industry on the Texas coast
  between Calhoun and Cameron Counties, including its potential
  economic impact and options for incentives to attract the cruise
  industry to South Texas; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be
  governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim
  committees as the 83rd Legislature may adopt.