|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of |
|
Texas, 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, That House Rule 13, |
|
Section 9(a), be suspended in part as provided by House Rule 13, |
|
Section 9(f), to enable the conference committee appointed to |
|
resolve the differences on House Bill 3459 (access to and |
|
protection of certain coastal areas) to consider and take action on |
|
the following matter: |
|
House Rule 13, Section 9(a)(4), is suspended to permit the |
|
committee to add text on a matter which is not included in either |
|
the house or senate version of the bill by adding the following new |
|
SECTIONS to the bill: |
|
SECTION 7. The legislature finds that: |
|
(1) the Galveston-Houston region and the region's |
|
economic and strategic infrastructure are at risk due to exposure |
|
to potential catastrophic storm surge; |
|
(2) to protect the Galveston-Houston region's five |
|
million residents and the region's economic and strategic |
|
infrastructure, various federal, state, and local entities, led by |
|
Texas A&M University at Galveston, are studying and developing |
|
conceptual designs for a coastal barrier to protect the region from |
|
hurricane-induced storm surge; |
|
(3) as currently envisioned, a project referred to as |
|
the "Ike Dike" would extend the protection afforded by the |
|
Galveston Seawall along the rest of Galveston Island and along the |
|
Bolivar Peninsula by creating a 17-foot-high revetment (sand |
|
covered dune with hardened cores) near the beach or by raising |
|
coastal highways; |
|
(4) the addition of floodgates at Bolivar Roads, at |
|
the entrance to the Houston, Texas City, and Galveston Ship |
|
Channels, and at San Luis Pass would complete a coastal spine that |
|
would provide a barrier against all gulf surges into Galveston Bay; |
|
(5) a research team is being led by Texas A&M |
|
University at Galveston through its Center for Texas Beaches and |
|
Shores using strong partnerships with the U.S. Department of |
|
Homeland Security Coastal Hazards Center of Excellence at Jackson |
|
State University, the Netherlands' Delft University of Technology's |
|
Department of Hydraulic Engineering, and the University of Houston |
|
C. T. Bauer College of Business's Institute for Regional |
|
Forecasting; |
|
(6) the General Land Office is a sponsor of and |
|
nonfederal partner for a United States Army Corps of Engineers |
|
study of the upper Texas coast to develop a list of specific |
|
recommended projects that may become eligible for federal |
|
appropriations; |
|
(7) the United States Army Corps of Engineers study, |
|
which encompasses Brazoria, Galveston, Harris, Chambers, |
|
Jefferson, and Orange Counties, includes the coastal barrier/"Ike |
|
Dike" concept; and |
|
(8) as a result of the studies and recommendations |
|
described by this section, the legislature may need to enact or |
|
amend state law to accommodate the building of a coastal barrier to |
|
protect the region from hurricane-induced storm surge. |
|
SECTION 8. (a) The legislature shall establish a joint |
|
interim committee to conduct a study of: |
|
(1) the effectiveness of the implementation of the |
|
changes in law made by this Act to Chapter 61, Natural Resources |
|
Code; and |
|
(2) the feasibility and desirability of: |
|
(A) creating and maintaining a coastal barrier |
|
system in this state that includes a series of gates and barriers to |
|
prevent storm surge damage to gulf beaches or coastal ports, |
|
industry, or property; and |
|
(B) authorizing coastal property owners to grant |
|
easements to governmental entities to construct and maintain |
|
stabilized dunes in connection with or separately from the system. |
|
(b) The committee is composed of: |
|
(1) the members of the standing committee of the |
|
senate that has primary jurisdiction over natural resources; |
|
(2) the members of the standing committee of the house |
|
of representatives that has primary jurisdiction over land and |
|
resource management; |
|
(3) two members of the senate appointed by the |
|
lieutenant governor, each of whom represents a district in a county |
|
that borders the Gulf of Mexico; and |
|
(4) two members of the house of representatives |
|
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, each of |
|
whom represents a district in a county that borders the Gulf of |
|
Mexico. |
|
(c) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of |
|
representatives shall jointly designate a chair or, alternatively, |
|
designate two co-chairs from among the committee membership. |
|
(d) The committee may adopt rules necessary to carry out the |
|
committee's duties under this section. |
|
(e) Not later than December 1, 2014, the committee shall |
|
report to the governor and the legislature the findings of the study |
|
and any recommendations developed by the committee under this |
|
section. |
|
Explanation: This addition is necessary to provide for a |
|
study determining the effectiveness of the implementation of the |
|
changes in law made by the bill to Chapter 61, Natural Resources |
|
Code, and determining the feasibility and desirability of certain |
|
coastal protection measures. |
|
|
Eiland |
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Speaker of the House |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 3007 was adopted by the House on May |
|
26, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 3, 2 present, not |
|
voting. |
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
|