| 1 | 1 | | 81R31876 CBE-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hunter H.R. No. 2074 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was signed into law on |
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| 7 | 7 | | August 8, 2005; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Section 384 of the Act established the Coastal |
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| 9 | 9 | | Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) to make available to eligible |
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| 10 | 10 | | producing states and coastal political subdivisions a proportion of |
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| 11 | 11 | | qualified Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) revenues for fiscal years |
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| 12 | 12 | | 2007 through 2010 to assist the producing states and coastal |
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| 13 | 13 | | political subdivisions in mitigating the coastal impacts of |
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| 14 | 14 | | offshore oil and gas production; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, The secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior |
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| 16 | 16 | | is authorized to disburse $250 million for each fiscal year to |
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| 17 | 17 | | eligible producing states and coastal political subdivisions, with |
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| 18 | 18 | | the funds to be allocated on the ratio that the amount of OCS |
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| 19 | 19 | | revenues generated off the coastline of the producing state bears |
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| 20 | 20 | | to the amount of qualified OCS revenues generated off the coastline |
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| 21 | 21 | | of all producing states; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Although the State of Texas has been allocated the |
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| 23 | 23 | | combined sum of $97,182,404.18 for fiscal years 2007 and 2008 under |
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| 24 | 24 | | CIAP, it has not received those funds because of delays in approving |
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| 25 | 25 | | the state CIAP plan and delays in the grant review process; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, These delays jeopardize the awarding of grants for |
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| 27 | 27 | | such worthy projects as the Cedar Bayou and Vinson Slough Hydraulic |
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| 28 | 28 | | Restoration Project, which would restore the historical hydraulic |
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| 29 | 29 | | connection between Cedar Bayou, Vinson Slough, and the Gulf of |
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| 30 | 30 | | Mexico in Aransas County and which would result in substantial |
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| 31 | 31 | | improvements to the health of the estuary and native wildlife; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | WHEREAS, Quick disbursement of the state's allocated Outer |
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| 33 | 33 | | Continental Shelf revenues will create and retain local jobs and |
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| 34 | 34 | | protect the Texas coastline; now, therefore, be it |
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| 35 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 36 | 36 | | Legislature hereby respectfully urge the U.S. secretary of the |
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| 37 | 37 | | interior to simplify existing policies and procedures to allow for |
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| 38 | 38 | | the expeditious release of Coastal Impact Assistance Program funds |
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| 39 | 39 | | to the State of Texas; and, be it further |
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| 40 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the chief clerk forward an official copy of |
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| 41 | 41 | | this resolution to the U.S. secretary of the interior and to all the |
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| 42 | 42 | | members of the Texas delegation to Congress. |
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