HB302 Summary

• Requires legislative approval by majority vote of each house for any sale or long-term lease (12+ years) of state park property seaward of Alabama Highway 182 in Baldwin County, excluding the designated project site.

• Authorizes the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to solicit proposals for improvement and beneficial use of a 29-acre project site at Gulf State Park, including lodging facilities, conference space, restaurants, and recreational facilities.

• Allows the Commissioner, Governor, or Joint Legislative Committee on State Parks to reject all proposals and permits the Commissioner to negotiate project agreements on terms deemed most beneficial to the state, subject to Governor and committee approval.

• Establishes that project agreements cannot exceed 99 years, must provide for project revenues to benefit the State Park System, prohibit mortgages on the project site, and require title reversion to the state upon expiration.

• Exempts project agreements from specified state laws regarding park management and repeals Chapter 14D of Title 9 of the Code of Alabama 1975.