HB2970

Regular Session

Relating to the management and operation of the Gulf Coast Protection District.

ModeratePlan for compliance

Low Cost

Effective:2025-06-20

Enforcing Agencies

Board of Pilot Commissioners for the ports of Harris County • Gulf Coast Protection District • Office of the Governor

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (The law is currently in effect).
Compliance Deadline: Immediate. Any project currently in the design or construction phase must align with current Pilot Commissioner rules today.
Agency Rulemaking: No specific rulemaking deadline is mandated by this bill; however, the Board of Pilot Commissioners' *existing* and *future* rulemaking dockets now effectively dictate construction parameters for the GCPD.

Immediate Action Plan

Audit Active Designs: Immediately review all engineering plans for coastal barriers against current Board of Pilot Commissioners rules regarding two-way traffic.
Update Risk Profiles: Engineering firms must verify Professional Liability policies cover regulatory non-compliance regarding navigation statutes.
Monitor Pilot Dockets: Assign regulatory staff to track the Board of Pilot Commissioners' agendas; their rulemaking is now a proxy for zoning changes on GCPD projects.
Prepare Change Orders: If current specs conflict with navigation rules, submit Change Order requests immediately citing HB2970.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Scope of Work Revisions: Update "Compliance with Laws" sections in all GCPD-related contracts to explicitly require adherence to *Board of Pilot Commissioners for Harris County Ports* rules.
Change in Law: Review Force Majeure and Change in Law clauses; if current designs violate Pilot rules, HB2970 constitutes a Material Change in Law, triggering immediate Change Order requests.
Indemnification: Subcontractors should limit indemnification regarding navigation accidents, as the law creates a strict liability standard regarding adherence to Pilot rules.

Hiring/Training

Engineering Competency: Engineering teams designing coastal barriers must be trained on the specific navigation safety parameters (channel width, depth, traffic flow) defined by the Pilot Commissioners.
Project Management: Project Managers must integrate a "Navigation Safety Review" gate into the project lifecycle before finalizing any design schematics.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Navigation Impact Assessment: Implement a mandatory internal assessment for all design phases to document that proposed infrastructure does not impede "two-way traffic" or violate Pilot rules.
Certification of Compliance: Maintain internal records proving that designs were cross-referenced against the specific rules of the Board of Pilot Commissioners prior to submission to the GCPD.

Fees & Costs

Redesign Costs: While there are no new statutory fees, anticipate significant project cost increases if active designs must be altered to accommodate navigation requirements.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

"Disrupt" vs. "Violate": The statute prohibits projects that "disrupt" navigation in violation of a rule. This gives the Board of Pilot Commissioners broad discretion to adopt new rules that could effectively halt specific GCPD projects.
Governance Friction: The Governor now appoints the GCPD presiding officer (state interest), but the local Pilot Commissioners hold the regulatory veto on construction (local commercial interest). Expect friction if state-level project goals conflict with local navigation priorities.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsGulf Coast Protection District Special Districts & Authorities Special Districts & Authorities--miscellaneous Water Water--navigation & Ports Governor

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2970

By: Paul

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 87th Texas Legislature established the Gulf Coast Protection District to collaborate with the federal government in constructing and operating essential components of the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study. The bill author has informed the committee that a key feature of this initiative is the storm surge protection through the Bolivar Roads Gate System, designed to shield the entirety of Galveston Bay from devastating storm surges, thereby protecting Port Houston, one of the largest and busiest ports in the United States. The bill author has further informed the committee that protecting Port Houston and other critical ports within Galveston Bay is vital not only for safeguarding infrastructure against storm surges but also for ensuring vessels can safely navigate the shipping channels, thus maintaining economic stability and maritime safety. H.B. 2970 seeks to address this issue by prohibiting the implementation of a project by the Gulf Coast Protection District from disrupting two-way traffic or navigation safety relating to the ports of Harris County.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2970 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to prohibit the implementation of a statutorily authorized project by the Gulf Coast Protection District from disrupting navigation safety or two-way traffic, as defined by the Houston Pilots Licensing and Regulatory Act, in a manner that violates a rule adopted by the board of pilot commissioners for the ports of Harris County under that act.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.

House Authors

Rep. Dennis PaulRepublican · Primary Author

Joint Authors

Coauthors (7)

Senate Sponsor

Sen. Mayes MiddletonRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

H.B. No. 2970

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to the management and operation of the Gulf Coast
	Protection District.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 9502.0201(i), Special District Local
	Laws Code, is amended to read as follows:
	(i) The governor [~~board~~] shall appoint [~~elect~~] a presiding
	officer from among the directors to serve in that position for two
	years. A director may serve as the presiding officer for not more
	than two consecutive terms.
	SECTION 2. Section 9502.0301, Special District Local Laws
	Code, is amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
	(f) Implementation of a project described by Subsection (a)
	may not disrupt navigation safety or two-way traffic, as defined by
	Section 66.0172, Transportation Code, in a manner that violates a
	rule adopted by the board of pilot commissioners for the ports of
	Harris County under Chapter 66, Transportation Code.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


March 31, 2025

TO:	Honorable Cody Harris, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	HB2970 by Paul (Relating to the implementation of projects by the Gulf Coast Protection District.), As Introduced

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

LBB Staff:

JMc, TUf, BC, CWi

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about HB2970

What does Texas HB2970 do?

HB2970 immediately subordinates Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) flood mitigation projects to the navigation safety rules of the Board of Pilot Commissioners for Harris County. This legislation effectively grants the Pilot Commissioners veto power over infrastructure designs (such as the "Ike Dike") that impede two-way traffic in the Houston Ship Channel, while simultaneously centralizing GCPD leadership by granting the Governor direct appointment power over the presiding officer. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (The law is currently in effect).

Who authored HB2970?

HB2970 was authored by Texas Representative Dennis Paul during the Regular Session.

When was HB2970 signed into law?

HB2970 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce HB2970?

HB2970 is enforced by Board of Pilot Commissioners for the ports of Harris County, Gulf Coast Protection District and Office of the Governor.

How urgent is compliance with HB2970?

The compliance urgency for HB2970 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of HB2970?

The cost impact of HB2970 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does HB2970 address?

HB2970 addresses topics including gulf coast protection district, special districts & authorities, special districts & authorities--miscellaneous, water and water--navigation & ports.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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