As Hurricane Season Begins, Cornyn Launches Preparedness Site

At the start of hurricane season, U.S. Senator John Cornyn launched a page on his website where Texans will be able to access resources and information associated with hurricane preparedness and disaster aid.

Last month, Senator Cornyn introduced the Coastal Texas Protection Act, a provision of which has been included in the America's Water Infrastructure Act.  Sen. Cornyn’s provision would direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the completion of the Coastal Texas Study, and provides a critical exception for the project under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA).  Currently, the CBRA restricts the expenditure of federal funds associated with coastal barriers to avoid encouraging development of such barriers.  Without this exception, the Coastal Texas Study could face significant delays. 

This legislation builds upon Sen. Cornyn’s COAST Act, a major portion of which was signed into law in 2016 as a part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. To avoid unnecessary duplication, the provision required the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take into consideration studies already developed by the Gulf Coast Community Protection and Recovery District (GCCPRD) while completing its Coastal Texas Protection & Restoration Study.

Since Hurricane Harvey hit the state of Texas, Sen. Cornyn has worked with Sen. Cruz, Governor Abbott, and local officials to secure disaster funding to help rebuild Texas. Since then, Congress has approved nearly $147 billion in funding available for disaster recovery efforts nationwide, including Harvey in Texas.