CS/CS/HB 1213 - Coastal Management Summary

• Establishes a tiered scoring system for beach management project funding priorities: Tier 1 (20%), Tier 2 (45%), Tier 3 (20%), and Tier 4 (15%), with specific criteria for evaluating erosion severity, economic impact, federal funding availability, cost-effectiveness, and local commitment.

• Requires the Department of Environmental Protection to update active project lists quarterly on its website and redefines "significant change" to mean project-specific changes exceeding $500,000 or 25% of original allocation.

• Separates inlet management projects from general beach management projects and establishes distinct funding priorities and ranking criteria for inlet-caused erosion, requiring at least 10% of statewide beach management appropriations for the three highest-ranked inlet projects.

• Requires the comprehensive long-term beach management plan to include a strategic beach management plan, critically eroded beaches report, and statewide long-range budget plan with a 3-year work plan; mandates a public meeting before finalizing the strategic beach management plan.

• Makes project funding available for 18 months and allows the department to reallocate unencumbered or unallocated funds to other priority projects on active lists; effective dates July 1, 2017 and July 1, 2018.