Proposed Texas Senate bill includes funding for coastal barrier project
Published: Thu, 01/26/23
Proposed Texas Senate bill includes funding for coastal barrier project
This is the proposed site of the Texas Coastal Barrier between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula on Saturday, December 17, 2022.
(Courtesy Jamaal Ellis/J.Vince Photography)
Community Impact
By Daniel Weeks
Updated
The state’s budget bill contains up to $500 million in new funding for the Gulf Coast Protection District, the local sponsor of the Coastal Texas Program.
The bill states the funding for the GCPD is contingent upon commitment by federal partners. The U.S. Congress authorized the construction of the program’s coastal barrier in December, opening the door for the project to begin work and eventually receive funding from the federal government.
The coastal barrier project aims to protect the Gulf Coast and parts of Harris and Galveston counties from storm surge caused by natural disaster events, such as hurricanes. The estimated total cost of the project is about $34 billion, with 65% of those funds being requested from the federal government and the remaining 35% being raised locally.
Nicole Sunstrum, executive director of the Gulf Coast Protection District, previously said the district is looking to have much of the local funding come from the state government. The district is also able to issue taxes on its residents to fund the project with voter approval.
State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, filed the Senate’s proposed budget bill, or SB 1, on Jan. 18. The bill proposes to appropriate about $418.8 billion for the fiscal years 2024 and 2025.