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Relating to improvement of the Sabine-Neches Navigation
District in Jefferson County, Texas; providing authority to issue anticipation
notes and time warrants.
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Because the bill would not have statewide impact on units of local government of the same type or class, no comment from this office is required by the rules of the House/Senate as to its probable fiscal implication on units of local government.
In 2014 the United States Congress adopted the Water
Resources Reform and Development Act. Of 2014. Section 7001 (1) of this act
authorizes the Sabine-Neches Waterway Improvement Project to enlarge the
Sabine-Neches Waterway. SB 1137, if passed, would provide the Sabine-Neches
Navigation District with clarity regarding its authority. The motivation behind
the bill is to facilitate cooperation between the federal government and Texas as
the project moves forward.
Specifically, SB 1137 would allow the Sabine-Neches
Navigation District to enter an Agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers,
issue time warrants to fulfill its obligations, enter into project-related
contracts without the approval of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Despite the complications which could potentially arise with
the improvement of the Sabine-Neches Navigation District, the substantive effect of SB 1137 would be to allow a local government to more efficiently carry out its role in the improvement project. We see
no real connection to our liberty principles that would lead us to support or oppose this bill and, as such, we are neutral
regarding SB 1137.