H.C.R. No. 56
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The cruise operations in the homeport of Galveston
have an enormous economic impact on Texas; the city hosted some
655,000 passenger and crew visits in 2011, which accounted for
$1.13 billion in direct spending; in addition, the industry was
responsible for generating over 17,300 Texas jobs and paying $917
million in wage income; and
WHEREAS, South of Galveston, between Calhoun and Cameron
Counties, Texas is home to several growing cities, robust tourism,
and a wealth of natural resources; the area also hosts three major
deepwater ports, any of which might be a viable site for a cruise
line headquarters or a port of embarkation; and
WHEREAS, Florida and California, respectively, benefit the
most from the North American cruise industry; Florida operates five
cruise ports, including Port Canaveral, Port Everglades,
Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa, and California is home to four, in
Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, and San Francisco; an
additional Texas cruise ship port between Calhoun and Cameron
Counties could offer an attractive vacation option for a
significant portion of the state's residents and be an economic
boon to the state as a whole; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
of representatives to provide for a joint interim legislative study
regarding the development of a cruise industry on the Texas coast
between Calhoun and Cameron Counties, including its potential
economic impact and options for incentives to attract the cruise
industry to South Texas; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be
governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim
committees as the 83rd Legislature may adopt.
Hunter
Herrero
Lozano
Lucio III
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 56 was adopted by the House on April
18, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 0, 2 present, not
voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.C.R. No. 56 was adopted by the Senate on May
17, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
RECEIVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Secretary of State