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Senate committee hears funding, design and governance changes for Gulf Coast protection projects
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Summary
Lawmakers and stakeholders discussed two related bills that would fund and alter governance for Gulf Coast storm-protection projects, and raised concerns about gate design affecting safe navigation on the Houston Ship Channel.
The Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development heard testimony on legislation to fund and change governance of coastal storm-protection projects serving the Upper Texas Coast. Senators and witnesses emphasized both the scale of the Coastal Texas and Sabine-to-Galveston projects and concerns that early design choices could endanger navigation in the Houston Ship Channel.
Senator (author) explained that Senate Bill 795 would create the Gulf Coast protection account in the state general revenue fund, to be administered by the Texas General Land Office and funded by gifts, grants, donations or appropriations. “The Coastal Texas project will be the largest civil works project in The United States and will protect millions of people and hundreds of billions of dollars in property from storm surge flooding,” the author said during the lay‑out.
Michelle Bechtel, board president of the Gulf Coast Protection District, thanked the Legislature for past appropriations and described the district’s role as the non‑federal sponsor for the Corps’ projects. She said state appropriations to date total $950,000,000 and have leveraged more than $3.9 billion in federal funding, and that projects are in construction or plan to enter construction by 2026.
Committee members also considered a committee substitute to Senate Bill 410 that would change the Gulf Coast Protection District’s management and permit the governor to appoint the district’s presiding officer. Senator Middleton said the bill would require final designs for the Bolivar Gate system to comply with Chapter 66 of the Transportation Code — the Houston Pilots Licensing and Regulatory Act — to preserve two‑way navigation.
Port and pilot groups urged the committee to require designs that maintain safe two‑way traffic. Bob Sanders of the Greater Houston Port Bureau summarized independent transit modeling and said many proposed gate transits would produce collisions or groundings in simulation. Captain Clint Winter, presiding officer of the Houston Ship Pilots, recommended a single 1,500‑foot gate positioned to the east and an 80‑foot depth to accommodate future vessel sizes and preserve two‑way traffic.
No final action was taken; public testimony was closed and both bills were left pending. The committee chair said the bill changing district governance would be paired with a Senate concurrent resolution to request information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Looking ahead, committee members said they will continue to weigh the district’s financing needs against navigation safety and federal coordination as the Corps finalizes designs.
