| 3 | 5 | | |
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| 4 | 6 | | |
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| 5 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 9 | | relating to creation of the gulf coast protection account to be |
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| 8 | 10 | | administered by the General Land Office. |
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| 9 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 31, Natural Resources |
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| 11 | 13 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 31.070 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 14 | | Sec. 31.070. GULF COAST PROTECTION ACCOUNT. (a) The gulf |
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| 13 | 15 | | coast protection account is a dedicated account in the general |
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| 14 | 16 | | revenue fund administered by the land office under this section and |
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| 15 | 17 | | rules adopted by the land office. |
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| 16 | 18 | | (b) The gulf coast protection account consists of: |
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| 17 | 19 | | (1) money from gifts, donations, and grants; and |
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| 18 | 20 | | (2) money appropriated, credited, or transferred to |
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| 19 | 21 | | the account by the legislature. |
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| 20 | 22 | | (c) Money in the gulf coast protection account may be used |
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| 21 | 23 | | only to pay for expenditures that: |
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| 22 | 24 | | (1) are necessary to fulfill nonfederal sponsor |
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| 23 | 25 | | obligations under agreements with the United States Army Corps of |
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| 24 | 26 | | Engineers for implementing projects included in the plan |
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| 25 | 27 | | recommended by the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration |
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| 26 | 28 | | Feasibility Study Final Report and Final Environmental Impact |
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| 27 | 29 | | Statement dated August 2021 issued by the Galveston District, |
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| 28 | 30 | | Southwestern Division, of the United States Army Corps of Engineers |
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| 29 | 31 | | and the land office; |
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| 30 | 32 | | (2) comply with the terms of a local cooperation |
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| 31 | 33 | | agreement executed by the land office and the Gulf Coast Protection |
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| 32 | 34 | | District established under Chapter 9502, Special District Local |
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| 33 | 35 | | Laws Code; and |
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| 34 | 36 | | (3) are for projects that: |
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| 35 | 37 | | (A) are necessary or useful for the protection of |
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| 36 | 38 | | the portion of the gulf coast located within the territory of the |
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| 37 | 39 | | district; or |
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| 38 | 40 | | (B) would benefit the district and are designated |
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| 39 | 41 | | as Coastal Storm Risk Management Projects within the Coastal Texas |
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| 40 | 42 | | Study. |
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| 41 | 43 | | (d) The legislature finds that the expenditure of money in |
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| 42 | 44 | | the gulf coast protection account in accordance with Subsection (c) |
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| 43 | 45 | | serves a public purpose. |
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| 44 | 46 | | (e) The expenditure of money in the gulf coast protection |
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| 45 | 47 | | account is subject to audit by the state auditor. |
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| 46 | 48 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 47 | 49 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 48 | 50 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 49 | 51 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 50 | 52 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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