Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dredging Beneficial Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee adopts amendments to HB 181 to protect general fund and rely on federal funds for beneficial reuse of dredged materials
Summary
HB 181, addressing beneficial use of coastal dredged materials, was amended to prohibit state general fund payments for compliance costs and to make beneficial use contingent on available federal funds and approved sites; committee forwarded the bill with amendments.
House Bill 181, on beneficial use of dredged materials from coastal dredging, advanced from the Ways and Means General Fund committee after two friendly amendments designed to protect state and port authority finances.
Sponsor Representative Marcus told the committee the Bay and ports are important statewide economic drivers and that stakeholders cooperated to reach language both sides could accept. Representative Black offered a replacement amendment that would read, in part, that "no funds appropriated from the state general fund to a person shall be used for expenses incurred by the person to comply with the requirement of this section." The committee adopted that amendment.
A second replacement amendment further limited state exposure by making beneficial use contingent "to the extent that federal funds are available and have been allocated for beneficial use when permitted and approved beneficial use sites are available in the state and have a demonstrated capacity for suited material or if the governor by order or proclamation." Committee members asked clarifying questions about which entities would bear compliance responsibility; sponsors and port representatives said the language preserves the Corps of Engineers' channel-maintenance role and relies primarily on federal funding and approved sites.
After adoption of both amendments, the committee voted to report HB 181 favorably. Sponsors thanked committee members and stakeholders for their work reaching compromise language.
What's next: HB 181 will move forward with adopted amendments; implementation will depend on federal funding allocations and availability of approved beneficial-use sites.
