HB692 Summary

• Authorizes the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to issue requests for proposals to develop and operate improvement projects at Gulf State Park, located on approximately 6,150 acres in Baldwin County, Alabama.

• Requires the Commissioner to consult with the Governor and Chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on State Parks when issuing requests for proposals and allows the Commissioner to reject all proposals and negotiate a project agreement on terms no less favorable than those submitted.

• Establishes project agreement requirements including terms for improvement, management, insurance, revenues paid to the state at least annually, custody of project revenues, and prohibitions on mortgages, assignments, and subleases without department consent.

• Limits ground leases to a maximum of 99 years and requires all project revenues to benefit the State Park System; exempts private-funded projects from competitive bidding requirements but subjects public-funded contracts to state bidding laws.

• Repeals Chapter 14D of Title 9 of the Alabama Code and exempts project agreements from various other state laws including Article 2 of Chapter 14, Chapter 14B, Article 3 of Chapter 15, Section 9-2-44, and Article 6 of Chapter 9 of Title 41.