§ 50-802. Statewide Tourism And Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability Special Committee of the Legislature; established; members; duties; termination.

(1) The Statewide Tourism And Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) Special Committee of the Legislature is hereby established as a special legislative committee to exercise the powers and perform the duties provided in this section. The special legislative committee shall consist of no fewer than seven members of the Legislature as determined by the Executive Board of the Legislative Council. The special legislative committee shall consist of the Speaker of the Legislature, who shall serve as chairperson of the special legislative committee, the chairperson of the Natural Resources Committee of the Legislature, one member of the Appropriations Committee of the Legislature, and at least four other members of the Legislature appointed by the executive board. The appointed members of the special legislative committee shall be members who represent legislative districts comprising portions of the areas under study or who otherwise have knowledge of such areas. All appointments shall be made within the first six days of the legislative session in odd-numbered years. Members shall serve two-year terms corresponding with legislative sessions and may be reappointed for consecutive terms. (2) The Executive Board of the Legislative Council shall provide staff as required by the special legislative committee from existing legislative staff. In addition, the special legislative committee may hire additional staff, make expenditures for travel, and enter into contracts for consulting, engineering, and development studies. The contracts shall be based on competitive bids and subject to approval by the executive board upon the recommendation of a majority of the members of the special legislative committee. It is the intent of the Legislature to appropriate two million dollars for fiscal year 2021-22 to carry out the purposes of this section. (3)(a) Studies shall be conducted on: (i) The need to protect public and private property, including use of levee systems, enhance economic development, and promote private investment and the creation of jobs along the Platte River and its tributaries from Columbus, Nebraska, to Plattsmouth, Nebraska; (ii) The need to provide for public safety, public infrastructure, land-use planning, recreation, and economic development in the Lake McConaughy region of Keith County, Nebraska; and (iii) The socioeconomic conditions, recreational and tourism opportunities, and public investment necessary to enhance economic development and to catalyze private investment in the region in Knox County, Nebraska, that lies north of State Highway 12 and extends to the South Dakota border and includes Lewis and Clark Lake and Niobrara State Park. (b) The study of the Lower Platte River pursuant to subdivision (3)(a)(i) of this section shall not include a study of any dam on a Platte River channel, but may include infrastructure options that maintain the integrity of the main channel of the Platte River. The committee may study dams relating to tributaries of the Platte River and levees in such area. (c) The studies regarding Lake McConaughy in Keith County and Lewis and Clark Lake and Niobrara State Park in Knox County shall evaluate the outcomes and the economic benefits of proposed development and improvements to residents, the local region, and state tourism. (4) The special legislative committee may hold hearings and request and receive reports from federal, state, county, city, and village agencies and natural resources districts regarding matters pertaining to such studies. The special legislative committee may hold one or more closed sessions for the receipt of confidential information if at least one-half of the members of the special legislative committee vote in open session to hold a closed session. The special legislative committee may appoint one or more subcommittees for the purpose of receiving public input as it relates to the purposes described in section 50-801 and this section. (5) The special legislative committee shall endeavor to complete each study on or before December 31, 2021, but such studies shall be completed no later than December 31, 2022. (6) The special legislative committee shall provide oversight over any projects carried out as a result of any studies completed by the committee to ensure continuity and to ensure that the projects fulfill the goals of the studies as they are implemented. The committee may seek input from local stakeholders regarding such projects. The committee shall also recommend legislative changes that may become necessary at the various stages of the implementation of such projects. (7) The special legislative committee shall terminate on December 31, 2026. History: Laws 2021, LB406, § 2; Laws 2022, LB1023, § 8.