SB231 Alabama 2013 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Trip Pittman

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Tom WhatleyDel MarshJ.T. WaggonerRusty GloverGerald O. DialGreg J. ReedJerry L. FieldingGeorge M. “Marc” KeaheyClay ScofieldGerald H. Allen

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Gulf State Park, sale of project site precluded, Governor to approve long-term lease of any state park property, development, submission of proposals, criteria, review by department, acceptance or rejection, Gulf State Park Project Committee established, proposal exempt from certain statutes, contingent upon market feasibility study by the Gulf State Park Project Committee, Chapter 14B of Title 9 repealed, Secs. 9-14B-1 to 9-14B-22, inclusive, Chapter 14D of Title 9 repealed, Secs. 9-14D-1 to 9-14D-5, inclusive, repealed

Summary

SB231 would keep the Gulf State Park project site from sale and create a Governor-led, committee-approved process to lease or develop it through competitive proposals.

What This Bill Does

It prohibits selling the Gulf State Park project site and its seaward portions. It establishes the Gulf State Park Project Committee to approve long-term leases and oversees requests for proposals and project agreements managed by the Governor, with a required current market feasibility study before moving forward. It creates a process where the Governor issues requests for proposals, negotiates project agreements, and must ensure diversity in the hiring of engineers, architects, lawyers, contractors, and other staff; the committee may approve or reject negotiated agreements, and if rejected the process repeats. It repeals older park-related statutes (Chapters 14B and 14D), allows certain funding flexibility for the project, and outlines how project revenues and other funds are handled.

Who It Affects

• State government bodies (Governor, Gulf State Park Project Committee, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Examiners of Public Accounts) responsible for approvals, oversight, and compliance.
• Private and public bidders/proposers and associated contractors and workers who submit proposals and may be part of project agreements, including rules about diversity in employment.

Key Provisions

• The project site, including seaward portions, shall not be sold.
• Ground leases may last up to 12 years without committee approval for seaward park property; longer leases require a majority vote of the Gulf State Park Project Committee; Examiners of Public Accounts must provide a compliance report before such votes.
• A current market feasibility study must be submitted and approved before the act is fully implemented.
• Ground leases may extend up to 70 years total, with opportunities for new ground leases near expiration; the Governor negotiates project agreements, which must reflect state diversity in staffing, and the committee can approve or reject the agreements, repeating the process if rejected.
• The Governor may issue requests for proposals; proposals become public records after opening and the Governor must notify submitters of decisions within 60 days.
• Contracts funded with public money must follow competitive bidding; contracts not funded with public money are exempt from those bidding laws.
• Project revenues that are public funds go to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; other revenues belong to the user and are not public funds.
• State or local governments may provide support for the project (money, land, tax abatements, services) under defined terms.
• Only National Resource Damage Assessment funds or Restore Act funds may be used for non-revenue project expenditures; if such funds are not obtained by December 31, 2015, the act repeals on January 1, 2016.
• Chapters 14B and 14D of Title 9 are repealed.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Gulf State Park