85R11687 RMA-D     By: Hunter H.C.R. No. 78       CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, The cruise operations in the home port of Galveston   have an enormous economic impact on Texas; the city hosted some   640,000 passengers in 2014, which accounted for more than $1.2   billion in direct spending; in addition, the industry was   responsible for generating almost 20,000 Texas jobs and paying   nearly $1.1 billion in wage income; and          WHEREAS, South of Galveston, between Calhoun and Cameron   Counties, from the tip of the Golden Crescent, along the Coastal   Bend, to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas is home to several   growing cities, robust tourism, and a wealth of natural resources;   the area, with more than 150 miles of Gulf shoreline, also harbors   three major deepwater ports, any of which might be a viable site for   a cruise line headquarters or a port of embarkation; and          WHEREAS, Florida and California, respectively, benefit the   most from the North American cruise industry; Florida operates five   cruise ports, including Port Canaveral, Port Everglades,   Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa, and California is home to four, in   Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, and San Francisco; an   additional Texas cruise ship port between Calhoun and Cameron   Counties could offer an attractive vacation option for a   significant portion of the state's residents and be an economic   boon to the state as a whole; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house   of representatives to create a joint interim committee to conduct a   study regarding the development of a cruise industry on the Texas   coast between Calhoun and Cameron Counties, including its potential   economic impact and options for incentives to attract the cruise   industry to South Texas; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be   governed by such general rules and policies for joint interim   committees as the 85th Legislature may adopt.