Port Houston Opposes HB 4445/SB 2223 and HB 4436/SB 2222
Proposed Legislation Could Hurt Houston Ship Channel Growth
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority met in special session Tuesday and adopted actions that expressed its collective opposition to proposed Texas bills HB 4445/SB 2223 and HB 4436/SB 2222 concerning Houston Ship Channel traffic and pilot channel matters.
The Port Commission collectively voiced that the potential unintended consequences of the proposed bills under consideration by the Texas Senate and House could hinder the future of commerce through the Houston Ship Channel and hurt job generation and economic growth in the Houston region, Texas, and the nation.
For more than a century, Houston Ship Channel stakeholders have engaged in a proven collaborative process that has accommodated the phenomenal growth and increase of ship traffic and vessel sizes with solutions that respect the diversity of Houston Ship Channel interests. The Port of Houston is the busiest in the nation and the world’s energy capital.
About the Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel is the 52-mile federal waterway that is home to the greater Port of Houston’s more than 200 private and eight public terminals. Its success is a partnership of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Houston Pilots Association, the Port of Houston Authority, those private terminals, and the vessels that transit it every day. In 2018, the Houston Ship Channel generated $801 billion in U.S. economic value, supported 3.2 million jobs, and provided $38 billion in tax revenue. In the state of Texas, it generated $339 billion in economic value, sustained 1.3 million jobs, and generated $5.6 billion in state and local tax revenue. The Houston Ship Channel Economic Impact Study will be released at the next regular Port Commission on April 23 at 9:00 a.m. https://porthouston.com/
About Port Houston
For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals of the greater Port of Houston – the nation’s largest port for foreign waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the nation. The greater Port of Houston supports the creation of nearly 1.35 million jobs in Texas and 3.2 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $339 billion in Texas – 20.6 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product – and more than $801.9 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website at PortHouston.com.
Contacts
Lisa Ashley, Director, Media Relations
Office: 713-670-2644; Mobile: 832-247-8179;
E-mail: [email protected]
This article published with permission from Business Wire
