HB 131 - Coastal Management Summary

• Revises beach management project funding priorities using a four-tier scoring system: Tier 1 (20% weight) covers tourism return on investment and erosion severity; Tier 2 (45% weight) addresses federal matching dollars, storm damage reduction, and cost-effectiveness; Tier 3 (20% weight) evaluates local government financial commitment; Tier 4 (15% weight) considers project readiness and environmental habitat enhancement.

• Requires the Department of Environmental Protection to maintain updated active project lists on its website, define "significant change" as funding variations exceeding $500,000 or 25% of original allocation, and provide quarterly notifications to the Governor and Legislature regarding funding changes.

• Establishes inlet management as separate from beach restoration projects with distinct ranking criteria including beach-quality sand quantity, erosion severity, project success, cost-effectiveness, and previous state planning completion.

• 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 that the secretary must present annually to the Legislature.

• Allocates a minimum of 7.6% or $50 million annually from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund for projects that preserve and repair state beaches, effective through fiscal year 2025-2026.