| 1 | 1 | | 89R12766 AMB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hunter H.C.R. No. 63 |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, The cruise operations in the home port of Galveston |
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| 9 | 9 | | have an enormous economic impact on Texas; the city hosted |
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| 10 | 10 | | approximately 1.5 million passenger and crew visits in 2024, and in |
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| 11 | 11 | | 2023, the industry was responsible for generating more than 4,500 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Texas jobs, $291 million in personal income, $733 million in local |
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| 13 | 13 | | business revenues, and $25 million in state and local taxes; and |
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| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, South of Galveston, between Calhoun and Cameron |
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| 15 | 15 | | Counties, from the tip of the Golden Crescent, along the Coastal |
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| 16 | 16 | | Bend, to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas is home to several |
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| 17 | 17 | | growing cities, robust tourism, and a wealth of natural resources; |
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| 18 | 18 | | the area, with more than 150 miles of Gulf shoreline, also harbors a |
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| 19 | 19 | | number of major deepwater ports, any of which might be a viable site |
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| 20 | 20 | | for a cruise line headquarters or a port of embarkation; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, Florida and California, respectively, benefit the |
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| 22 | 22 | | most from the North American cruise industry, and each state |
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| 23 | 23 | | operates multiple cruise ports; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, An additional Texas cruise ship port between Calhoun |
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| 25 | 25 | | and Cameron Counties could offer an attractive vacation option for |
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| 26 | 26 | | a significant portion of the state's residents and be an economic |
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| 27 | 27 | | boon to the state as a whole; now, therefore, be it |
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| 28 | 28 | | RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 29 | 29 | | hereby request the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House |
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| 30 | 30 | | of Representatives to create a joint interim committee to conduct a |
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| 31 | 31 | | study regarding the development of a cruise industry on the Texas |
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| 32 | 32 | | coast between Calhoun and Cameron Counties, including its potential |
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| 33 | 33 | | economic impact and options for incentives to attract the cruise |
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| 34 | 34 | | industry to South Texas; and, be it further |
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| 35 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be |
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| 36 | 36 | | governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim |
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| 37 | 37 | | committees as the 89th Texas Legislature may adopt; and, be it |
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| 38 | 38 | | further |
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| 39 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including |
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| 40 | 40 | | findings and recommendations, to the 90th Texas Legislature before |
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| 41 | 41 | | it convenes in January 2027. |
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