S257 - 2026 Appropriations Act. (SL 2026-41)

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Session Year 2024

Overview: Section 12.19 of S.L. 2026‑41 (Senate Bill 257) codifies a provision originally enacted in 2000 that required the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (now the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)) to compile and evaluate information on the conditions and erosion rates of beaches, on coastal geology, and on storm and erosion hazards for use in developing a State plan and strategy for beach management and restoration. This plan was to be updated every two years, and is now commonly referred to as the Beach and Inlet Management Plan (BIMP). In addition to codifying the 2000 legislation, this section also repeals a subsequent amendment to the 2000 legislation, makes conforming changes, and clarifies that the Department's BIMP includes a four‑year cycle of planned maintenance and resiliency projects for the State's beaches and inlets.

DEQ must submit the BIMP to the General Assembly by July 1, 2027, and by March 1 of odd numbered years thereafter, with an interim report on the progress of revisions by December 1, 2026.

This section became effective July 1, 2026.

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