2019 Regular Session ENROLLED SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 27 BY SENATORS ALLAIN, ALARIO, BARROW, BISHOP, BOUDREAUX, CARTER, CHABERT, COLOMB, CORTEZ, DONAHUE, ERDEY, FANNIN, GATTI, HEWITT, JOHNS, LAFLEUR, LAMBERT, LONG, MARTINY, MIZELL, MORRELL, PRICE, GARY SMITH, JOHN SMITH, THOMPSON AND WARD A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION To approve the annual state integrated coastal protection plan for Fiscal Year 2020, as adopted by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board. WHEREAS, R.S. 49:214.5.1 et seq. creates the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board (board) to represent the state's position in policy relative to the protection, conservation, enhancement, and restoration of the coastal area of the state through oversight of integrated coastal protection projects and programs; and WHEREAS, R.S. 49:214.5.1 et seq. provides that the board shall develop, coordinate, make reports on, and provide oversight for the annual state integrated coastal protection plan; and WHEREAS, R.S. 49:214.6.1 et seq. provides for the creation, duties, and responsibilities of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (authority) as the implementation and enforcement arm of the board and that through its offices and officers, the authority shall be responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the annual state integrated coastal protection plan; and WHEREAS, the annual state integrated coastal protection plan represents a state policy for protecting, conserving, enhancing, and restoring Louisiana's coastal area through the construction and management of integrated coastal protection projects and programs, including coastal protection and restoration projects and hurricane protection projects, which are projects that may require, without limitation, funding for associated measures such as the beneficial use of dredged material, rehabilitation and repair of state restoration projects, environmental and regulatory compliance, acquisition of land easements, rights-of-way, relocations and disposal areas, maintenance programs, conservation and restoration partnerships, reserve fund contingencies, and other innovative programs, provided that such funding for associated measures shall be allocated to the projects based on priority status as Page 1 of 3 SCR NO. 27 ENROLLED identified by the annual state integrated coastal protection plan in order to more effectively respond to the ever-changing coastal crisis; and WHEREAS, R.S. 49:214.8.1 et seq. requires that the annual state integrated coastal protection plan provided for in R.S. 49:214.2 include the annual basin plan for the Atchafalaya Basin and such annual basin plan is included as Appendix E to the annual state integrated coastal protection plan; and WHEREAS, R.S. 49:214.5.3 requires that, as part of the development of the annual state integrated coastal protection plan, the board shall conduct not less than three public hearings in separate locations in the western, central, and eastern areas of the coastal area for the purpose of receiving comments and recommendations from the public and elected officials; and WHEREAS, R.S. 49:214.5.3 also requires that at least two weeks prior to each public hearing, the board must contact the parish governing authorities, regional flood protection authorities, levee districts, and the state legislators of the parishes in the coastal areas for the purpose of soliciting their comments and recommendations and notifying them of the public hearing to be held in their area; and WHEREAS, R.S. 49:214.5.3 requires the board to receive written comments and recommendations until thirty days prior to the submission of the annual state integrated coastal protection plan to the legislative committees; and WHEREAS, as required under the provisions of R.S. 49:214.5.3, the annual state integrated coastal protection plan adopted by the board shall be submitted to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, the House Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works, and the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works, on or before the fifteenth day of the regular legislative session of each year; and WHEREAS, these committees shall provide guidance for and approval of the annual state integrated coastal protection plan; and WHEREAS, the annual state integrated coastal protection plan shall become effective and implemented upon approval of the annual state integrated coastal protection plan by a majority of both houses of the legislature, or if a majority of both houses of the Page 2 of 3 SCR NO. 27 ENROLLED legislature fails to disapprove the annual state integrated coastal protection plan by July 1, 2019, it shall become immediately effective and implemented. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby approve the state's Fiscal Year 2020 annual plan for integrated coastal protection, as adopted by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Page 3 of 3