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