| 1 | 1 | | 81R7849 CBE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hunter H.C.R. No. 173 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The cruise operations in the homeports of Galveston |
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| 7 | 7 | | and Houston have an enormous economic impact on Texas; together, |
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| 8 | 8 | | the cities hosted some 680,000 passenger and crew visits in 2007, |
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| 9 | 9 | | which accounted for $1.07 billion in direct spending; in addition, |
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| 10 | 10 | | the industry was responsible for generating over 18,500 Texas jobs |
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| 11 | 11 | | and paying $893 million in wage income; and |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, South of Galveston, between Calhoun and Cameron |
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| 13 | 13 | | Counties, Texas is home to several growing cities, robust tourism, |
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| 14 | 14 | | and a wealth of natural resources; the area also hosts three major |
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| 15 | 15 | | deepwater ports, any of which might be a viable site for a cruise |
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| 16 | 16 | | line headquarters or a port of embarkation; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, Florida and California, respectively, benefit the |
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| 18 | 18 | | most from the North American cruise industry; both states currently |
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| 19 | 19 | | operate five ports, including Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, |
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| 20 | 20 | | Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa in Florida, and Los Angeles, Long |
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| 21 | 21 | | Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, and Oakland in California; an |
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| 22 | 22 | | additional Texas cruise ship port between Calhoun and Cameron |
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| 23 | 23 | | Counties could offer an attractive vacation option for a |
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| 24 | 24 | | significant portion of the state's residents and be an economic |
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| 25 | 25 | | boon to the state as a whole; now, therefore, be it |
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| 26 | 26 | | RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 27 | 27 | | hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house |
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| 28 | 28 | | of representatives to provide for a joint interim legislative study |
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| 29 | 29 | | regarding the development of a cruise industry on the Texas coast |
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| 30 | 30 | | between Calhoun and Cameron Counties and its potential economic |
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| 31 | 31 | | impact; and, be it further |
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| 32 | 32 | | RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be |
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| 33 | 33 | | governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim |
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| 34 | 34 | | committees as the 81st Legislature may adopt. |
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