Monitoring the Session

SB 795

Alvarado Bill Opens An Empty Gulf Coast Storm Account

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review
Sen. Carol AlvaradoDSenate 6
Why it's charged
New fee, fund, board or appointees

THE TEXT

“The gulf coast protection account is a dedicated account in the general revenue fund administered by the land office”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill creates a new dedicated account inside the general revenue fund, administered by the land office. The caption openly promises this account, so the pattern fires at ordinary strength rather than hard.

New fee, fund, board or appointees

Initial review · graded Oct 21, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to creation of the gulf coast protection account to be administered by the General Land Office.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

It takes gifts and whatever the Legislature adds. Army Corps storm projects only.

The bill creates a new dedicated account in the state's general revenue fund, called the gulf coast protection account, run by the General Land Office. The account holds gifts, donations, grants, and whatever money the Legislature chooses to put in it, and that money may be spent only on the state's share of Army Corps of Engineers coastal storm projects from the August 2021 Coastal Texas Study, under an agreement with the Gulf Coast Protection District. On the ground, nothing is funded yet; the bill builds the pot, limits what it can pay for, and makes spending subject to state auditor review.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB795 · 2025-01-15

SOLD BY

Sen. Carol AlvaradoDSenate 6

ITEM

relating to creation of the gulf coast protection account to be administered by the General Land Office.

WHAT IT DOES

It takes gifts and whatever the Legislature adds. Army Corps storm projects only.

The bill creates a new dedicated account in the state's general revenue fund, called the gulf coast protection account, run by the General Land Office. The account holds gifts, donations, grants, and whatever money the Legislature chooses to put in it, and that money may be spent only on the state's share of Army Corps of Engineers coastal storm projects from the August 2021 Coastal Texas Study, under an agreement with the Gulf Coast Protection District. On the ground, nothing is funded yet; the bill builds the pot, limits what it can pay for, and makes spending subject to state auditor review.

CHARGES

[x] NEW FEE, FUND, BOARD OR APPOINTEESanalysis confidence 70%

THE TEXT

“The gulf coast protection account is a dedicated account in the general revenue fund administered by the land office”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill creates a new dedicated account inside the general revenue fund, administered by the land office. The caption openly promises this account, so the pattern fires at ordinary strength rather than hard.

TOTAL

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 14, 2025

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined because the amounts and timing of any appropriations, gifts, grants, or donations for the new Gulf Coast Protection Account are unknown at this time. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Natural Resources
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Carol Alvarado

Donors

Texas Sands PAC$25KTexas REALTORS Political Action Committee$20KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Jun 19, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Sands PAC$25,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Mar 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101012403, 101030499, 101059972.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$20,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Dec 8, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101007246, 101030499.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Dec 9, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101012403, 101030499.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Mar 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101012403, 101030499, 101059972.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Dec 8, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101007246, 101030499.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Dec 9, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101012403, 101030499.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 14, 2025

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined because the amounts and timing of any appropriations, gifts, grants, or donations for the new Gulf Coast Protection Account are unknown at this time. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Adversarial review by claude-fable-5-1 at high effort: Smells.

Analysis of text version I by claude-fable-5-1, Oct 21, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Jan 15, 2025

04/16/2025 S Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Senate committee · Natural Resources · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

HB 1089 by Paul (identical)

Subjects

Coastal Affairs & Beaches

Disaster Preparedness & Relief

Special Districts & Authorities--Miscellaneous

State Finances--Appropriations

State Finances--Management & Control

Water--General

GENERAL LAND OFFICE

Text

The text as introduced · 377 words

89R138 ANG-F

By: Alvarado
S.B. No. 795

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to creation of the gulf coast protection account to be

administered by the General Land Office.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 31, Natural Resources

Code, is amended by adding Section 31.070 to read as follows:

Sec. 31.070. GULF COAST PROTECTION ACCOUNT. (a) The gulf

coast protection account is a dedicated account in the general

revenue fund administered by the land office under this section and

rules adopted by the land office.

(b) The gulf coast protection account consists of:

(1) money from gifts, donations, and grants; and

(2) money appropriated, credited, or transferred to

the account by the legislature.

(c) Money in the gulf coast protection account may be used

only to pay for expenditures that:

(1) are necessary to fulfill nonfederal sponsor

obligations under agreements with the United States Army Corps of

Engineers for implementing projects included in the plan

recommended by the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration

Feasibility Study Final Report and Final Environmental Impact

Statement dated August 2021 issued by the Galveston District,

Southwestern Division, of the United States Army Corps of Engineers

and the land office;

(2) comply with the terms of a local cooperation

agreement executed by the land office and the Gulf Coast Protection

District established under Chapter 9502, Special District Local

Laws Code; and

(3) are for projects that:

(A) are necessary or useful for the protection of

the portion of the gulf coast located within the territory of the

district; or

(B) would benefit the district and are designated

as Coastal Storm Risk Management Projects within the Coastal Texas

Study.

(d) The legislature finds that the expenditure of money in

the gulf coast protection account in accordance with Subsection (c)

serves a public purpose.

(e) The expenditure of money in the gulf coast protection

account is subject to audit by the state auditor.

SECTION 2. 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.