The bill, House Bill 1089, is similar to one in 2023 that was ultimately vetoed by the governor due to an issue with the bill’s wording.
The overview
HB 1089, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Paul, R-Clear Lake, will create a dedicated account in the general revenue fund for projects protecting coastal land in Texas.
The bill went into effect immediately after it was signed May 24. It was originally filed by Paul in November, Community Impact previously reported.
The money will be administered by the Texas General Land Office. Funding will come from gifts and grants, as well as money the Legislature adds to the account, according to the bill.
A nearly identical bill, House Bill 2416, also sponsored by Paul in 2023, aimed to establish a trust fund for coastal protection projects outside of the treasury but was vetoed in 2023 due to concerns over its restrictive language, Community Impact previously reported.
Gov. Greg Abbott's main gripe with HB 2416 was the bill's text requiring “any” money to go toward just projects within the Texas Gulf Coast Protection District, Abbott said in a statement following the 2023 veto.
Created in 2021, the Texas Gulf Coast Protection District contains more than 5,000 square miles of land across Harris, Galveston, Chambers, Jefferson and Orange counties, according to its website.
The details
The updated bill contains new language, among other changes, such as an audit provision and usage restriction.
Zooming in
In 2023, House Bill 1 allocated around $550 million for the Ike Dike project, which is projected to take 20 years and cost north of $30 billion to complete. The project is waiting for more federal funding. Since then, little progress has been made in obtaining more funding.
The system is part of more than a dozen projects that could line the Texas coast from Galveston to South Padre Island, Community Impact previously reported.
Despite the project’s cost, officials have defended its need in the form of money saved. Disasters, such as Hurricane Ike, did nearly $29.5 billion in damage, Community Impact previously reported.
